Other Ur fav Sangiovese kit & tweaks

[Bmd2k1]

Curious what everyone's fav Sangiovese kit is, any tweaks you may make to it & your typical protocol (yeast, bulk aging, oaking etc)?

I've made the RJS Cru Select & its been very well received. (Used the provided EC1118, bulk aged for only 3months on 1 American Oak Med toast spiral & bottle aged for min 2months).

Was hoping to do a FW one early this year...but doesn't sound like any available till Much later in the year.

Cheers!

 

[Bmd2k1]

Bueller? Bueller?

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

So few of them are even available, but would have to say RJS Cru Select, but use Avante or BM4x4 yeast and Add 1 cup raisins to primary and some OptiRed or ColorPro.

 

[Khristyjeff]

I've not done a Sangiovese kit yet (just a juice bucket), but in the Tweaking Cheap Kits thread it was suggested adding 1-2 cups of Zante currants to primary.

 

[Bmd2k1]

I've not done a Sangiovese kit yet (just a juice bucket), but in the Tweaking Cheap Kits thread it was suggested adding 1-2 cups of Zante currants to primary.

Any idea what Zante Currants provide compared to Raisins - when added to primary ferment? (haven't tried Currants to this point)

Cheers!

 

[sour_grapes]

Well, for one thing, they are V. vinifera. I don't know if that has any detectable impact, but that might matter to a purist!

 

[Bmd2k1]

Well, for one thing, they are V. vinifera. I don't know if that has any detectable impact, but that might matter to a purist!

...and I'm not sure what that even really means as it pertains to adding to a wine ferment! (even after looking it up!)

Cheers!

 

[sour_grapes]

Okay, I was making an error. I thought that most raisins in the US were NOT V. vinifera, that is, not the species that most wine grapes are. I was wrong about that -- the Thompson seedless grape is a V. vinifera variety. Sorry.

 

[Bmd2k1]

....anyone else have any Sangiovese experiences to share? It was one of the tops in @winemaker81 poll

 

[cmason1957]

This isn't a sangiovese red wine kit, but the Winexpert Sangiovese Rose kit seems to be available again. I made two of thoseand bottled them recently, wonderful pale red color, no discernable kit taste, lightly backsweetened, just to red move the acidic harshness. Might be worth a look.

 

[Mekpdue]

Curious what everyone's fav Sangiovese kit is, any tweaks you may make to it & your typical protocol (yeast, bulk aging, oaking etc)?

Cheers!

This thread I’m following as I was just looking for some Sange frozen juice and I’m not finding any. I did find a frozen must 6gal, but I wasn’t that impressed with the site. I’d also like to hear of suggestions.

I did look at winemaker mag 2021 rankings Top 100 Wine Kits of 2021 - WineMakerMag.com (a guide, I don’t take it as gospel-and I hope I’m allowed to link that) so now I’m thinking of going with an Amorone. I do have 5 gallons of Nebbiolo juice now aging.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Here is an option….

https://www.grapemust.com/product/2...et-6-gallon-pail-livermore-valley-california/

 

[G259]

https://www.grapemust.com/product/2...et-6-gallon-pail-livermore-valley-california/

Bucket is filled 80% to allow for frozen expansion, so 5 1/4 gallons. I suppose you could ferment right in the bucket, no solids to worry about. $140
I saw free shipping, 3-7 days. That sounds pretty good, it must cost a lot to ship 50 lbs. to across the country. However, I didn't enter my address, so it may go way up if I did.

 

[Mekpdue]

Here is an option….

Thank you. I did come across that (pretty good numbers) and am curious: with frozen juice, that equals no wine press. With the skins in a frozen must, I understand you are pressing the skins, which without a press I’m ‘hard-pressed’ to make. Am I misunderstanding that?

 

[cmason1957]

One thing to keep in mind about those frozen must buckets, they produce about 2.5-3 gallons of wine.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Thank you. I did come across that (pretty good numbers) and am curious: with frozen juice, that equals no wine press. With the skins in a frozen must, I understand you are pressing the skins, which without a press I’m ‘hard-pressed’ to make. Am I misunderstanding that?

No, you can make a simple bucket press. That’s what I do and it works fine.

 

[Mekpdue]

One thing to keep in mind about those frozen must buckets, they produce about 2.5-3 gallons of wine.

That is true. You are giving up a lot of bottles with the frozen must (based on 6 gal kit or juice). And the cost per bottle just jumped considerably.
Someone please weigh in on if it’s worth it. Earlier today I was weighing another kit, or waiting on my Chilean Malbec juice in May.

 

[Bprinc]

I ordered the sangiovese bucket from grape must .com
It's a little soon to rate the wine but the customer service is great
I ordered cab sav last year and it's tasting great.

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

One thing to keep in mind about those frozen must buckets, they produce about 2.5-3 gallons of wine.

I just finished pressing my pail of Cab Franc frozen must and ended up getting exactly 4 galls of juice.

 

[Nebbiolo020]

That is true. You are giving up a lot of bottles with the frozen must (based on 6 gal kit or juice). And the cost per bottle just jumped considerably.
Someone please weigh in on if it’s worth it. Earlier today I was weighing another kit, or waiting on my Chilean Malbec juice in May.

This is true, I’m a professional winemaker and I tried one of the frozen juice buckets just to experiment and see if in my opinion they are worth it. Found a company that had Carignan and for like $130 a bucket and I bought one and made it and thawed it and let it rip with nutrients and the same enzymes and yeast I always use and the results were quite good the grapes were good quality and the wine has the benefit of the freezing process effectively cold soaking it much better color. I feel that while expensive they are a good option for those of us who don’t have fresh grapes or want to produce good wine out of season.

I feel like the juice buckets are leaps and bounds better than most kit wine.