Cellar Craft Sterling California Sauvignon Blanc

[lilvixen]

Thanks, John.

I can't do 3 or 4 because I don't have a glass carboy. After some additional advice, I agitated the wine with the whip for a while longer last night and took a taste test today of straight from the carboy vs wine that I additionally agitated with a fork. Neither hubby nor I noticed a difference between the two samples, so I bottled this afternoon.

 

[lilvixen]

We sampled a bottle last week for quality control, and it was good for a Sauv Blanc (not my fave varietal), a little thin, but good. I give sis her birthday portion next week, and I'm excited for her opinion.

 

[Amanda660]

Enjoyed reading this thread. What is next on the list to make?

 

[lilvixen]

Enjoyed reading this thread. What is next on the list to make?

Thanks, Amanda. During the break between grad school semesters in Dec and Jan, I need to bottle my aging CC Sterling Malbec and RJS En Primer Super Tuscan. Then I'm hoping to start up a CC Showcase Merlot, WE Eclipse Cabernet Sauvignon, and a big Chardonnay. They'll have the spring semester to bulk age, then I'll bottle them and start up another 2 or 3 kits over summer to bulk age during the fall semester.

 

[StBlGT]

For your future kits....i highly recommend getting a few glass carboys and an all in one pump. I, like you, was very annoyed with co2. I bulked aged 2 kits since march and degassed with a whip for an eternity. I thought they were degassed.....nope!

After bottling 2 gassy kits i said enough was enough. I bought the all in one and WOW, just WOW! It is amazing. I had another kit that i thought was degassed (like the others) and ran it through the AIO and the co2 it pulled out was insane! No more gas! It really saved my wine hobby.

 

[lilvixen]

Birthday batch is ready for sis:

 

[lilvixen]

Sis loves it! She says it has so much more flavor and body than the stuff she budget-buys for herself, and she'd put it on par with the wines we tasted on our Napa tasting tour. (I don't think it's quite that good, but I'm glad she does!)

Success!

 

[lilvixen]

Quick update: Sis still loves the Sauvignon Blanc, and there are about 6 bottles left from the batch.

Sis's other half (henceforth OH) told me that sis didn't share the first birthday batch I gave to sis - they have a long-distance relationship, so I suppose it's excusable - so for holidays and birthdays, I've given OH a bottle. OH and OH's siblings have all declared it yummy.

I started up a Sterling Pinot Grigio on Monday for sis and OH (and siblings, if OH shares). It smells incredible already, and I may have to retain a couple bottles for quality control.

 

[Kraffty]

@lilvixen, I just dropped yeast in this same kit yesterday and enjoyed your post. I plan on blending in a little limoncello and sweetening it just a touch, from your post it sounds to me like this will be a perfect wine for what I want it to turn into.
based solely on my experience the more wines you expose yourself to the more you'll enjoy and want to try different wines than what you've always gone too.

Thanks, Mike