What's in your glass tonight?

[Hazelemere]

A banana taped to a wall is stupid.

Knock knock.....

Who is there?

Banana, banana

Knock knock.....

Who is there

Orange

Orange who?

Orange you glad I didn't say banana, banana

 

[jswordy]

2019 Argentinian Malbec... DNS!

 

[Hazelemere]

Black Iris Port with Creme de Cassis in a glass 2024 at about SG 1.008

finished or almost finished fermenting. I have 25 bottles. This is mostly wild cherries with a few blackberries and 1 lb dried elderberries fermented with EC-1118 yeast with nutrient. Here are my comments on this blend in a glass:

Appearance - inky purple

Smell - really good fruit bomb nose

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - the Cassis is dominant but not in a bad way. If you like port this is first class fruit port. I think I'll top it up with Greek Metaxa raisin brandy to get the alcohol up to 18+%. I may treat it with citric acid to drop the sweetness. Other than that, this should be excellent fruit port. Instead of using 1, I think I'll use 2 bottles of Metaxa on a 25 bottle carboy and then put it in my cooler. I'll retaste it after I add the Metaxa. I don't want to over-ride a beautiful wild cherry smell and taste with the dried elderberries. The blackberry dose is so low that it doesn't matter. I was going to add Drambuie but I think I'll go for Metaxa.

retaste and update:

I have a second bottle of Metaxa which is Greek raisin brandy that I've using to top up this wine every time that I rack a sample in a glass to taste it so it doesn't referment in the bottle having reached 18+% alcohol on EC-1118 yeast (I'm guessing that I am at 19+% alcohol right now). I have it on medium toast American oak cubes and will leave it alone until Easter and then bottle it i.e. 25 bottles.

Appearance - inky purple

Smell - good, intense smell of wild cherries and cassis (black currant liqueur) with a bit of elderberry in the background. I can smell the Greek raisin brandy now.

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - this is delicious fruit port. The sweetness level is perfect. I would absolutely make it again. The aftertaste is really good. I've made grape ports but I like this better. I only picked one wild cherry tree this year and have access to 3. In 2025 I'll try to pick all 3 alone or with one of my friends. That way I can make more of this or a second wine that uses more blackberries and possibly some raspberries along with the dried elderberries. Metaxa seemed to work well on this so I'll use it again together with French Creme de Cassis liqueur which is 16% alcohol.

 

[ibglowin]

Found this is the cellar. It was a Costco find from a few years ago. This was excellent and a perfect paring with last nights Green Chile' Cheeseburger!

 

[wineh]

A bit fruit forward for me, but good color and nice aftertaste. 2021, 14.5%

 

[ibglowin]

Austin Hope 2nd tier label. Usually pretty good QPR.

A bit fruit forward for me, but good color and nice aftertaste. 2021, 14.5%View attachment 118051

 

[Hazelemere]

retaste:

Apple Cyser 2023

appearance - clear, yellow gold

smell - good honey nose which lingers (unpasteurized blueberry blossom honey used to chaptalize homegrown russet juice)

tannin - good from honey and russets

acid - good

flavour - good, rich complex flavour with an aftertaste of apple skin tannins. I rate it as very good. This has an SG of 1.000 but doesn't taste sweet.

bottom line - these homegrown organic apple wines ground and pressed without water and chaptalized with cane sugar and/or unpasteurized honey e.g. blueberry, raspberry or cranberry make really good house wines within 6 to 12 months and sensational cooking wines. We run out of them really fast which is fine so our premium grape wines can age properly. I'm absolutely committed to making apple wine this year.

retaste:

Apple Cyser 2023

appearance - clear, yellow gold

smell - good honey nose which lingers (unpasteurized blueberry blossom honey used to chaptalize homegrown russet juice)

tannin - good from honey and russets

acid - good

flavour - good, rich complex flavour with an aftertaste of apple skin tannins. I rate it as very good. This has an SG of 1.000 but doesn't taste sweet.

bottom line - these homegrown organic apple wines ground and pressed without water and chaptalized with cane sugar and/or unpasteurized honey e.g. blueberry, raspberry or cranberry make really good house wines within 6 to 12 months and sensational cooking wines. We run out of them really fast which is fine so our premium grape wines can age properly. I'm absolutely committed to making apple wine this year. This is really good for making prawn linguine sauce by using it to keep onions from burning as they cook in oil so they can caramelize.

 

[ibglowin]

Perfect pairing with Thanksgiving turkey. DNS!

 

[Hazelemere]

Perfect pairing with Thanksgiving turkey. DNS!

View attachment 118134

Carneros Pinot Noir can be sensational. Looks like you got a good one.