RJ Spagnols Winery Series Super Tuscan Wins!

[Dugger]

My wife and I are visiting her cousin in Pennsylvania and on the way here I had a glass of Super Tuscan at a restaurant. I hadn't seen a commercial one before so I had to try it and at $12.50 a glass I figured it should be pretty good. Well it was OK but seemed a bit thin and light in color but good bouquet and pretty good taste. Tonight we had a bottle of the Winery Series Super Tuscan I brought with me and it was easily much better than the one from the restaurant, so I was quite pleased and once again highly recommend this kit.

 

[wood1954]

Way to go! Would that be like a really good flavorful Chianti?

 

[roger80465]

Chianti on steroids! Different animal with greater complexity - at least for my palate.

 

[tonyt]

Yep. I find that I have to spend about $35.00 on a bottle of wine for it to be better than mine. It seems we can get more body than say $20.00 grocery store wine. Especially if we let our bottles age a while.

 

[Putterrr]

Doug

i cant wait for mine to be ready to bottle. sadly that wont be for another 6 months or so. i guess i will just have to satisfied with the other EP and Winery kits ahead of it. i know its tough but i'll manage

cheers

 

[Wade E]

Yep, my favorite kit hands down! If anyone hasn't made this kit I state my rep on this kit!

 

[bkisel]

Other then bulk aging did any of you guys do tweaking to the kit?

Thanks...

 

[tonyt]

Other then bulk aging did any of you guys do tweaking to the kit?

Thanks...

I just started my second batch of this kit. It comes with a bunch of untoasted oak shavings but no other oak, so I add some untoasted dust in primary, some medium French cubes in secondary, and three months Hungarian oak barrel (you could substitute French oak spirals for 6 weeks while in bulk aging). I also added FT Rouge (tannin) in primary to help retail color. I may add more tannin later if needed. I will check my notes tonight and see if I did anything else on the first kit.

 

[bkisel]

I just started my second batch of this kit. It comes with a bunch of untoasted oak shavings but no other oak, so I add some untoasted dust in primary, some medium French cubes in secondary, and three months Hungarian oak barrel (you could substitute French oak spirals for 6 weeks while in bulk aging). I also added FT Rouge (tannin) in primary to help retail color. I may add more tannin later if needed. I will check my notes tonight and see if I did anything else on the first kit.

Wow, you obviously have a lot of experience and knowledge about this stuff. I would have guessed that one would to have at least made the kit once in order to figure out what tweaks would improve the wine the second time around. Was it your other kit experience with similar wines that clued you into what tweaks to do to improve this kit?

Thanks...

 

[Dugger]

Mine was made according to instructions other than full fermentation in the primary. It was bulk aged about 6 months and is now 18 months old.

 

[tonyt]

Wow, you obviously have a lot of experience and knowledge about this stuff.
Thanks...

Stop it!

Even though Wade has promoted this kit for years it wasn't till last year that I actually tried it. I had done about 30 kits prior to the ST. So I did have some idea of the tweaks I might use ahead of time. Other than the untoasted dust and FT Rouge in primary I don't tweak in secondary and aging till I taste the wine along the way. Knowing that kit comes with less oak than I prefer, that's a pretty good guess that I will add more.

There is tons of information and suggestions about making wine from kits and grape on this forum. There are probably a half dozen entire threads on this one kit alone, do a search and read them all. If you see an old thread that you have questions about "bump it", ask a question or make a comment and revive it. There are some fantastic moderators and winemakers on this forum, they have taught me how to make the wine I like. Ask your questions and listen to their advice, that's what I do. BTW, I like oaky wine so only consider my advice at your own risk.

 

[bkisel]

I hear you Tony. I've already learned a lot from this sight. The sites search engine has been my friend.

Thanks...

 

[Geronimo]

Personally, I like to make a kit once (at least) exactly as it comes in the box. I don't follow the instructions to a "T" but I am always consistent with all my kits.

Being a former beer brewer, I have software that helps me track every batch, but that's not really necessary. Just a few notes can go a long way.

If you don't keep notes that are easy to go back to, then (especially with wine because a year or two might pass before we really know the effect of those tweaks) you're just making suppositions that might or might not go well.

One reason I think I like the RJS Winery Series Super Tuscan is that it doesn't use any toasted oak (tons of oak, just none of it is toasted), which makes it a little unique especially in the Italian red wine category. If you take one look at this kit and immediately see a need to add toasted oak to it, I think you're missing out on an excellent wine experience just as they make it.

 

[Bacci]

This kit has been in my closet for two months now, and about ready to start. I wanted to ask the same question about preferred tweaks for this kit since it has such a reputation, but Geronimo may have answered it. Do it like it says do it. I've made 20 or so CC/RJS kits and believe the hungrian oak that many come with, IMO tend to overwhelm the flavor profile and untoasted oak would be a nice change of pace. My only question is I assume after 6 - 7 days in primary the SG would be dry but is that given enough time to benefit from the grapepak and all that new oak? Cellar Craft goes out at least 10 days.

 

[Boatboy24]

This kit has been in my closet for two months now, and about ready to start. I wanted to ask the same question about preferred tweaks for this kit since it has such a reputation, but Geronimo may have answered it. Do it like it says do it. I've made 20 or so CC/RJS kits and believe the hungrian oak that many come with, IMO tend to overwhelm the flavor profile and untoasted oak would be a nice change of pace. My only question is I assume after 6 - 7 days in primary the SG would be dry but is that given enough time to benefit from the grapepak and all that new oak? Cellar Craft goes out at least 10 days.

My basement is around 68 all year, and down there, most of my kits go 8-10 days in primary. Many times, I'm pretty close to 1.000 by that time, but I keep the lid and airlock on the fermenter and all is fine. If at 1.000 or less, I make sure my secondary is topped up.

 

[tonyt]

I just started my second batch of this kit. It comes with a bunch of untoasted oak shavings but no other oak, so I add some untoasted dust in primary, some medium French cubes in secondary, and three months Hungarian oak barrel (you could substitute French oak spirals for 6 weeks while in bulk aging). I also added FT Rouge (tannin) in primary to help retail color. I may add more tannin later if needed. I will check my notes tonight and see if I did anything else on the first kit.

For better or worse here is what was done on my first RJS Super Tuscan.
Followed instructions in primary squeezing grape pack bag daily. Beginning SG 1.106. Rack to secondary on day six SG 1.006 and added 2 ounces of med toast Hungarian oak cubes. Fermented to .995 in secondary. Fining and degassing on day 30. Not sure why I left it in secondary so long but it was topped up I'm sure. Let clear till day 48. Racked and added two med French oak spirals for four weeks. Bulk aged six months, six weeks of which was in new Vidai barrel. A few weeks prior to bottling I added 1 1/2 teaspoon of TanCor grand cru tannin and six ounces of simple syrup. Added K-meta every three months. At five months in bottle we think it's quite good and am trying to leave it alone till at least one year in bottle. YMMV