WineXpert Vintner Reserve Coastal Red

[buffalofrenchy]

Went to my local store today and asked for a red that requires the least amount of aging in bottles. Coastal red was recommended to me. Since this will be my first red and only second batch overall, I have been looking for wine ready to drink. Did not know much about this so I hope it was the right recommendation. Will start the kit this weekend when the sauvignon blanc goes in the carboy.
Anyone tried this one?

 

[ColemanM]

Not sure about the coastal red, but I have made the coastal white and it is palatable early. Suppose a red is a different beast so on that note I have made the mezza Luna red, similar quality and price point. I am actually having a glass right now. It's alright I suppose for 6 months old. I am sure it will get a little better later though. Thus the question is, how "early" are you looking at?

 

[buffalofrenchy]

With the risk of sounding naive I was hoping for a month of bottle aging to start drinking it while allowing better wines aging properly.

 

[Kraffty]

I've made this kit 3 times, and it's a good starter kit. I've tweaked all of mine slightly, added oak and some frozen dark cherries in the primary. I'd say you're looking at 6 months to drinkable, at 1-1//2 years it's pretty decent really.
Enjoy, let us know how it turns out, I do remember tasting it often and the difference at 1 then 3 and 6 months was amazing to me and really gave me my first sense of what time does for wine.

Mike

 

[ColemanM]

I thought that after aging a month my mezza Luna had a very strong KIT taste. I associate this taste with a raspberry sweet taste. Not a grape wine taste. But as long as you thoroughly degas your wine, you might be able to enjoy it. Depending on what your expectations are.

 

[buffalofrenchy]

Ok this coastal red is officially under primary fermentation. The hydrometer reading was only 1.086 despite 5 good minutes of vigorous stirring. A bit low for a red isnt it? Although from I read it is a light bodied wine.

 

[ColemanM]

I just did a cellar craft sterling GSM and it only came it at 1.086 too. I was so disappointed I took a reading on my tap water and sure enough it was .994 have you checked your hydrometer?

 

[buffalofrenchy]

Interesting. First of all I measured the juice with the hydrometer in the primary. I just measured using water in the test jar (first time I m using the test jar). It reads .998 at 70 F which is unity with correction factor. However if I were looking down at the test jar (like when I put the hydro in primary) I would have measured .994... I under estimated the inaccuracies with the hydrometer in the primary looking down at it...
All in all I think my coastal red might be 1.092

 

[Enologo]

I've made both the Mezza Luna Red and the Coastal Red. No tweaks on either as I like to make it straight the first time to have a base line to judge by. I thought the ML was a little thin and preferred the Coastal. Made both as early drinkers and I'm sure both would have benefited from more time though I enjoyed both, I would definitely make the Coastal again. Having said that my tastes run toward Southern Italian home made wines. YMMV.