Mosti Mondiale Top 100 kit wines

[John Prince]

Looking at the Wine Makers magazine MM doesn't have many in the top 100. Is there a reason?<div id="myWatcherDiv" style="displayone;">

 

[ibglowin]

Not as readily available in as many LHBS as Winexpert, Cellar Craft, RJS. Small company still that is family owned and not bought up like all the rest by a big conglomerate of sorts.

 

[John Prince]

How do you rate them? I think I've made more MM kits than EP RJS kits. I do like the directions better from RJS. I've got another year before I taste them. That's what sux about being abeginner. It takes too long to drink some of the big reds. I should have a good rotation in another year though. I haven't had any complaints about the Summer Breeze wine so far. The port I made was just okay.

 

[ibglowin]

I have made 4 MM AJ's and too many of the MM Renaissance kits to recall. Check my website. The Renaissance kits are a great bang for the buck. There is a rumor floating around that they will be upgraded in 2012 to include a grape pack of sorts. That should make them even better IMHO. Have not made any of the Master or Meglioli Kits but have never seen anyone that wasn't pleased with the outcome. Just to steep (~$200) for my taste I suppose.

 

[robie]

I noticed that, too. It was the same last year for them.

For the life of me, I can't understand why that is. Besides MM, I also have made CC, RJS, and WE kits, several of each, and none of them are better than a MM. The MM Meg. Barolo kit is about the best one could ever expect a kit to be, but ... nothing in the contest.

Only thing I can think of is maybe fewer numbers of MM kits are sold, so the number of kits entered may also be low.

I wouldn't let that stop me from buying MM kits, though.

 

[rhoffart]

All of my kits execpt the very first one have been MM Master Editionor Meglioli 23L Kits. I can't talk myself into buying something where you have to add water. With my little knowladge I think the MM 23L whites could be as good if not better then fresh. It's well balanced high quality juice. I just bottled 3 kits and asked Santa for a few more.

 

[ibglowin]

Its official!
Renaissance Impressions are now available in 4 varietals with an 4kg grape pack!

http://www.finevinewines.com/XCat_Redirect.asp?MM_Category=441

 

[Wade E]

I will say IMO that most high end kits are way better then fresh juice!!! Grapes on the other hand are a different story and even then you are at the mercy of your knowledge, the weather that year, the time it takes to ship them from the country of origin, and on top of that all the person growing these grapes meaning the quality of these grapes period. I havent made any Meg or Masters kits despite tasting a Meglioli Barolo that was just phenomenal!!!!!!!! I can say at the price of the Meglioli kits I would be pretty stingy with paying the ridiculous price to enter 1 of these bottles in those comps! They should be paying us to drink bottles of wine like that.

 

[tonyt]

I have made several Mosti kits, Meglioli and Renaissance, RJS, CC and WE. I have made five of the top 100 kits and would consider any of my five MM Renaissance kits as good or better than the five Top 100 kits. Oftentimes the MM Rens can be had from FVW for right around $100.00 on sale (like right now). I'll be all over the Impressions as soon as budget allows. I have done three of the $200+ MM Megs and have been happier with the Renaissance. My oldest Meglioli is only 16 months old and folks say that's still too young for a 23ltr kit. So yes, MM should have a better showing.

As to why they don't show better in the top 100, if you do a Google search you will find very limited distribution of Mosti kits. For what's it's worth (not much) I rank the kit brands I have done as follows:
1) Cellar Craft Showcase - but too expensive now!
2) Mosti Renaissance - great value
tie for third place
3) RJ Spagnols En Premieur - also pricey
3) Wine Expert International

 

[ibglowin]

Tony you should give the RJS Winery series a try if you haven't. Cheaper than the Showcase plus they come with grape skins.
With the Growers Club discount and the 3 Christmas coupons that came out in the email yesterday everything is on sale now for the holidays!

 

[Bartman]

At the risk of sounding cynical, does it really matter what WineMaker magazine identifies as the Top 100? Is that popularity contest any more reliable or meaningful than the point-rating system of commercial wines? The consumer-opinion-ranking system has its place with commodities like car makes/models, because you want to know the quality of the product you are buying, which is expected to be exactly like every other one off the assembly line. But wine is/should be different, no? If the wine or wine kit is guaranteed to be exactly like others from past years and that can then be projected/assumed from WinMaker's kit rankings, then the hobby loses half or more of its interest and mystery to me.

So just like with the ranking of the 100 most important pieces of literature or movies or whatever, I don't even bother to look, because focusing only on those would mean I would miss out on some great diamonds-in-the-rough.

 

[rhoffart]

I think it's a good reference point for newbies or someone trying something different. I use the same type of "top list" when looking for cigars. See it here

 

[ibglowin]

Its nice to have some type of chart as a reference point at least. It's still up to the winemaker to "make it his own" in some way. A tweak here, a tweak there.....

 

[Wade E]

I dont honor those comps much either. I know whee you all are going with it and fully understand. IMO the RJS Winery Series are better then the Cellar Craft.

 

[Bacci]

I made RJS Zin WS, CC LR Fortimisso and CC RM Cab all about the same time and bulk aged 8 monthsin same cellar conditions and the RJS Zin WS produced way more diamond crystals (more total solids?) than either of the CellarCraft, but the body/color/flavor are comparable. I think theRJSZin has taken longer to come around as well.


Looked online at the new MM Ren Impressions AMarone/Barolo from (FVW) and trying to calculate how many liters of juice/concentrate is included, plus the 4 Kg of Grape pack and 4 Kg ofraisins?Would that be 13.6 liters of juice?

 

[Wade E]

Im pretty sure those are 18 liters of juice and from what I hear with these MM kits you may want to get a 10 gallon fermenter to do these as the grape pack is twice the size of other kits and thats really pushing a 7.8 gallon bucket!!!!!I think I may pull the trigger on a 10 gallon and Impressions Barolo today myself!

 

[Runningwolf]

I think it's a good reference point for newbies or someone trying something different. I use the same type of "top list" when looking for cigars. See it here

I agree with you Rick as being a good reference point. I said it before and I'll say it again. The most important thing is making something your spouse likes first (they support the hobbie) then yourself and friends. Humble as we may be, It sure is a nice feeling when your wife and friends brag about your wine.

 

[Wade E]

True Dat!!!! I can care less what a wine snob thinks about m wine but I do car about everyone else!!!

 

[Bacci]

18 liters of juice plus8kg ofgrapepak and raisians? I'm down for that! I almost pulled the trigger on a WE Limited Petite S/Zin yesterday, but didn't because of no grapepak, instead considering an Italian varietalfor 2012, nevertried a Mosti kits, but suddenly interested. Amarone or Barolo? Already use the 10 galfor Cellar Craft.

 

[Wade E]

Its only 4 kg of grape pack, there was a type "O' in the last newsletter and the revision of that letter explaining it came out today. Its still big though.