RJ Spagnols RJS Super Tuscan versus WE Super Tuscan

[Allgaited]

I have a question. I made a RJS Super Tuscan and opened a bottle yesterday. Now it's only 9 months old, but I was not impressed. It's a ruby red color instead of a deep purple like I expected, having made a couple of WE Super Tuscans, which I was incredibly impressed with.

Is it supposed to be ruby red? It doesn't taste like a full-bodied red wine like the WE kit did.

I'm wondering if I did something wrong since so many people on here seem to really like the RJS super Tuscan. Any thoughts?

 

[jgmann67]

A few thoughts:

Didn't you know the color before bottling? They're different blends of varietals and that might have something to do with the color.

But, did you punch you cap? How long was the wine on the skins?

Honestly, I would just be bottling at 9 months...

Young wine - like a ST @ 9 months which is really, really, really young - will be thoroughly unimpressive. I had the RJS at 2.5 years and it was very good.

Did you degas sufficiently?

Which WE and RJS kits did you make?

This is the WE Bravado - Sangiovese, Cab, Merlot blend. It's got excellent body and color. But, I don't think it is as dark as the RJS EP Super.

 

[sour_grapes]

I have a question. I made a RJS Super Tuscan and opened a bottle yesterday. Now it's only 9 months old, but I was not impressed. It's a ruby red color instead of a deep purple like I expected, having made a couple of WE Super Tuscans, which I was incredibly impressed with.

Is it supposed to be ruby red? It doesn't taste like a full-bodied red wine like the WE kit did.

I'm wondering if I did something wrong since so many people on here seem to really like the RJS super Tuscan. Any thoughts?

Well, Super Tuscans are often dominated by Sangiovese (and this kit is reported to be Sangiovese + Cab). I think of Sangiovese as more ruby or garnet than purple. (Wine Folly agrees with me.) So I don't think a ruby color is out of place here.

 

[SouthernChemist]

I agree that 9 months is probably a little young to make a full judgement. Wines with Sangiovese tend to be redder rather than dark, inky, and purple, as Paul said. Of course, RJS will likely not tell you the percentage of varietals (proprietary!), but a lot of Super Tuscans are majority Sangiovese.

If the wine was not sufficiently degassed, that can affect the flavor. The can be a big issue, in my experience.

Was the wine topped up with water?

Another thing to consider is just when the wine was bottled. If it was recently, it was probably too early to drink.

 

[jgmann67]

From our friends at Wine Folly.

 

[Allgaited]

Wow, thanks for the replies.

It is definitely the color that was posted. So, being so young, I guess I just need to let it sit which I will do.

I've been making wine for 10 years so I have the degassing thing down pretty good. I don't top up my wines. I usually follow the kit instructions and bottle when they tell me to. Never had a problem with wine oxidizing. I don't bulk age as I don't have enough equipment to do that.

I just was so surprised that it was so much lighter than the WE Super Tuscan.