What's in your glass tonight?

[Hazelemere]

Framboise 2024

15 lbs organic frozen raspberries including Meeker and Lamberhurst
6 lbs cane sugar
3 US gallons of water
raised SG to 1.085 with cane sugar after the raspberries thawed and the after the water as added.
71B yeast
pressed at SG 1.000 to remove seeds
added 2 750 mL bottles of Chambord liqueur (French black raspberry)
added dextrose (corn sugar) to SG 1.006
raised total potassium metabisulphite from 2/8 tsp to 3/8 tsp total i.e. ~25 to 30 ppm free sulphite
addded sorbate and put into my cooler to bottle around Easter 2025

Comments (pre sorbate and 1/8th tsp sulphite addition at SG 1.006):

Appearance: clear after 4 weeks. Ferment is done.

Smell - very fragrant, very slight stink off yeast sediment

Tannin - good

Acid - slightly high but ok for now. It will drop over time e.g. 6 months+. If it doesn't I can always sweeten it a bit more e.g. SG 1.009.

Flavour - this should be very good in 1 to 2 years. I'll leave it my cooler for 6 months before I taste it again. I should get 26.5 regular bottles. 71B seems to be a go to yeast for raspberries.

I'm racking this now with 1/8 tsp potassium metabisulphite and extra dextrose to raise the SG from 1.006 to 1.009.

Appearance - clear deep rose/light red

Smell - very fragrant and intense

Tannin - good

Acid - good at this sweetness level of SG 1.009

Flavour - this is delicious raspberry wine. The Chambord addition makes a huge difference along with 71B yeast ferment that allows less back sweetening to balance it. I will make this again and again. It is very young but I'd rate it as excellent. I have 25 bottles and will try to let them age. If you have access to high quality raspberries (I have 3 homegrown organic varieties that I freeze in late season. I never use early season raspberries because they are tangier and less sweet than late season. We use early season to make juice). If I could only make one wine each year and only one this would be it along with the wild cherry. This year's Regent made into a rose is really tasty again fermented on 71B yeast. Use RC212 with nutrient on low acid fruit like blackberries or cherries and 71B yeast on any high acid fruit like raspberries. Use D47 and/or V13 yeast on apples and pears. Use EC1118 on sherries and ports.