What's in your glass tonight?

[Hazelemere]

This is a 50/50 blend of 2 raspberry melomels - 2019 Raspberry Sour Cherry Melomel and 2020 Raspberry Cyser Melomel

The raspberry sour cherry melomel was non-tannic on opening fruity with a slight sediment (e.g. ellagic acid from the fruit) made from:

12 lbs pitted homegrown organic frozen sour cherries
20 lbs frozen homegrown organic raspberries (3 varieties including Mettler)
unpasteurized cranberry blossom honey to SG 1.090 with 1 Imperial gallon of water for each 6 lbs of fruit. Plus nutrient and pectic enzyme. Lalvin Bayanus yeast finished at SG 1.012 with honey and sorbate.

The Raspberry Cyser Melomel was tannic on opening but softened a day later (oxidation of Russet apple tannin) and was made from:

raspberry wine - 6 lbs raspberries per Imperial gallon of water and 3 lbs cane sugar
cyser - pure russet juice with a bit of King and Cox apple with unpasteurized blueberry blossom honey

60% raspberry and 40% cyser. The russet apple tannin is dominant on day 1.

On day 2 everything is in balance on a 50/50 blend of these 2 wines. This mix is very aromatic and I'll drink these 2 wines this way again to drop the russet tannin.

This year I made Raspberry Chambord which I'll tell you about later.

 

[winemaker81]

I purchased this one through Laithwaite, got the magnum as a special. It doesn't fit most of my racks, so I had to open it! Vivinio rates it at 4.3 with 137 reviews. I concur.

 

[Hazelemere]

I decided to taste my 2022 Raspberry Chambord from a cooler carboy.

which is 25 bottles of raspberry wine from 6 lbs of raspberries per 1 Imperial gallon of water and 3 lbs cane sugar to SG 1.004 with 1 bottle of Chambord (French Black Raspberry liqueur). This finished fermentation at SG 0.992 on September 21. I've never made this before. Here are my comments:

Nice deep colour.

Very clear.

Rich interesting complex smell.

A bit tangy at SG 1.004 but flavour is really good so I think that I will leave it alone at the lowest residual sugar that I've ever used on a raspberry wine.

I think that I'll make the next one (same recipe) as a Raspberry Chambord Port. Chambord liqueur has wonderful properties.

I think that I'll bottle this around easter so I can take some to my sister in August who loves my fruit wines especially raspberry and blackberry wines.

This recipe is definitely a keeper IMHO. I think I'll make it both ways as a table wine and as a port.

Dextrose was used to raise SG from 0.992 to 1.004 since cane sugar leaves an aftertaste unlike dextrose.

 

[Hazelemere]

Finally here is 2022 Tripleberry Cassis which is a port made as follows:

6 lbs frozen organic raspberries, 3 lbs cane sugar, 1 Imperial gallon of water
6 lbs frozen wild dead ripe blackberries, 3 lbs cane sugar, 1 Imperial gallon of water
1/2 lb dried elderberries, pectic enzyme and nutrient containing B vitamins
fermented with Lalvin Bayanus yeast fed with dextrose at ~15% alcohol to get to ~18% alcohol
medium toast American oak cubes 6 per Imperial gallon for 120 days
2 bottles of French Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)

I tasted this out of my cooler:

Here are my comments:

Deep dark wine

Very fragrant. Good nose. The elderberries give a nice smokiness.

Flavour is fine but I like more acid. I'll probably add citric in increments of 1/2 tsp per carboy until I get the sweetness/acid balance I like.

This wine has a good aftertaste. With the right amount of acid it could be really good.

 

[vinny]

Yep. Until Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

I read this wrong. Somehow I saw tonight at 4:30..

So I rephrase my previous statement. I want to know what you are drinking Thursday!

 

[jswordy]

@ibglowin

 

[jswordy]

I read this wrong. Somehow I saw tonight at 4:30..

So I rephrase my previous statement. I want to know what you are drinking Thursday!

 

[fermenter]

Maybe some of us have only "weak" days

 

[vinny]

View attachment 96343

Now, that's a celebratory bottle of wine.

I was thinking going home to finish a bottle of last nights wine to celebrate retiring?

Now, we are on the same page!

 

[jswordy]

Now, that's a celebratory bottle of wine.

I was thinking going home to finish a bottle of last nights wine to celebrate retiring?

Now, we are on the same page!

Just two drunks tryin ta find the next buzz?

 

[vinny]

Just two drunks tryin ta find the next buzz?

Tryin?? Pretty sure I caught me one.

 

[jswordy]

View attachment 96343

OMG, the bottle is opened! TREMENDOUS bouquet! Smooth with a slight edge that I am sure will round once it breathes, and complex. Liking it so far. No sucky. The bottle is opened because it is official...

 

[ibglowin]

OMG, the bottle is opened! TREMENDOUS bouquet! Smooth with a slight edge that I am sure will round once it breathes, and complex. Liking it so far. No sucky. The bottle is opened because it is official...

View attachment 96402

 

[jswordy]

Oh hell yeah, Mike!!! And now you have to start worrying about me showing up at your doorstep, uninvited, with an empty wine glass in my hand, asking, "Can I be glowin' soon?"

 

[geek]

Anyone remember this one from a few years back. Very dry but not sure how to describe the flavor on this one.

 

[jswordy]

OK, @geek, so you made me Google "vermentino." Good job! Do you LIKE it?

 

[vinny]

OMG, the bottle is opened! TREMENDOUS bouquet! Smooth with a slight edge that I am sure will round once it breathes, and complex. Liking it so far. No sucky. The bottle is opened because it is official...

View attachment 96402

 

[Boatboy24]

Anyone remember this one from a few years back. Very dry but not sure how to describe the flavor on this one.

View attachment 96403

That was an excellent kit. I'd never heard of Vermentino before making it, but I sure know about it now.

 

[jswordy]

That was an excellent kit. I'd never heard of Vermentino before making it, but I sure know about it now.

I am still clueless, waiting to see if @geek likes it. Did YOU like it @Boatboy24 ?

 

[Boatboy24]

I am still clueless, waiting to see if @geek likes it. Did YOU like it @Boatboy24 ?

Loved it.