WineXpert Aging & Storing the Eclipse kits

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Stickymatch

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I'll start off by saying that I'm a wine making noob. I'm currently doing my first kit which is the Eclipse Stag's Leap District Merlot. I'll be performing the stabilizing and clearing stage on Monday. My original intention was to follow the directions to the T except for letting it bulk age an additional month prior to bottling. After some extensive reading on this site, I think I might bulk age for an additional 5-6 months. Is this a good idea? Regardless, the plan after bottling would be to taste 6 months after bottling and then every 6 months or so thereafter depending on taste but leaving 5-10 bottles alone to age about 4-5 years.

Following this kit will be an Eclipse Pinot Gris. Any advice on bulk aging this kit?

With that being said, bulk aging would be done in my basement which is about 65 degrees year round give or take a degree or so. Once bottled, I have the option of keeping the bottles in the 65 degree area to age and store or purchasing 2 wine coolers (1 for red and 1 for white), at an expense, to age and store. While I've read that 55 degrees is the "ideal" cellar temp, I've also read that reds age better at up to 58 degrees and whites around 50 or so...if I'm way off it's probably because I've read so much conflicting info.

So...what's really the best route for aging and storing these wines? Is 65 in the basement ok and not detrimental to the wine from an aging and storing perspective? Am I better off with the wine coolers? Do I need to age & store reds and whites at separate temps or will 55F across the board work?

I want to get the most out of these kits but also want to drink as well. However, there will always be a few tucked away for 4-5 years to see how they progress. I realize that these aren't $100 bottles of wine and may not mature as one, but again, want to get the most out of it while not overdoing it with expense when the outcome is minute.

Sorry for the rambling, just been going crazy over this. Any info is appreciated.

Thanks,
Kevin
 
I believe that many of us kit makers would be thrilled to have a basement/are with a near constant 65 degrees. I personally would spend the cooler money on buying more kits in order to build up my stock.

I don't bulk age my kits nearly as long as you've planned to age yours. My strategy for kits is as follows... 4-week kits bulk age 2 months, bottle age 2 months; 6-week kit bulk 3 mo., bottle age 3 mo..
 
There are a number of opinions on this but what I got back when I asked about this in the past is that in general a 65 very steady temperature is better than a 55 less steady temperature. My own research on low end (less than $$$ thousands) wine coolers is that the temperature stability is fairly low (swings of a couple of degrees over a few hours) so you may ultimately be better off without a cooler. I personally doubt aging at 65 will negatively affect your wine.

Jeff
 
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My advice to a "noob" as you call yourself is to get your first kit bottled sooner rather than later, I'd say bulk age three months for your first kit. My reasoning is so that you can start tasting the fruits of your labor earlier and igniting the fire of passion to start more and more kits. Then letting each subsequent kit age a bit longer than the previous all the while you are enjoying your first couple kits. You can always hold back a several for the long haul. Typically I will bulk age 7 to 9 months then an additional year in bottle. My ultimate goal is not to start drinking till 18 months after bottling. Five years into the hobby and I am still not there yet.
 
Your logic is pretty sound. I have a 50 bottle cooler in my basement, that is generally my "drinking stock" and short term storage. Particularly in summer, I enjoy my reds a little cooler and keep the wine cooler at 58. The rest is on a rack or in cases in my basement which is steady, but a few degrees warmer than yours (probably 67 or so). I've only been at this hobby about two years, but have made a lot of wine in that time; trying to build up a supply, yet still allow me to enjoy the fruits of my labor early on. I now have some higher end red kits that are 18 months old and can tell you there is a big difference between now and even 6 months ago. So your idea of stashing some a way is a good one. So far, I "hide" at least a case from each batch that I plan to not consume until at least 18 months of age. For the Merlot you have going, I would try to not bottle until 6 months after you started it. If you can, let those bottles sit for another 6 months (you should have close to 30 bottles, so in theory you could box up two cases, then leave yourself 1 bottle per month to try). This is red kit wine I'm referring to. White kits are a little easier and should be drinking quite well at 6 months. By a year or so, they are pretty mature, though I've read they'll continue up to the two year mark (my oldest white wine just hit the 1 year mark last month).

Edit: I just read Tony's comments and agree with him for your first batch. In fact, that's what I did with mine. Get it bottled, stash a case away for a year or two and drink the rest. :dg
 
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Thanks to all for the info so far, it's greatly appreciated.

Your logic is pretty sound. I have a 50 bottle cooler in my basement, that is generally my "drinking stock" and short term storage. Particularly in summer, I enjoy my reds a little cooler and keep the wine cooler at 58. The rest is on a rack or in cases in my basement which is steady, but a few degrees warmer than yours (probably 67 or so). I've only been at this hobby about two years, but have made a lot of wine in that time; trying to build up a supply, yet still allow me to enjoy the fruits of my labor early on. I now have some higher end red kits that are 18 months old and can tell you there is a big difference between now and even 6 months ago. So your idea of stashing some a way is a good one. So far, I "hide" at least a case from each batch that I plan to not consume until at least 18 months of age. For the Merlot you have going, I would try to not bottle until 6 months after you started it. If you can, let those bottles sit for another 6 months (you should have close to 30 bottles, so in theory you could box up two cases, then leave yourself 1 bottle per month to try). This is red kit wine I'm referring to. White kits are a little easier and should be drinking quite well at 6 months. By a year or so, they are pretty mature, though I've read they'll continue up to the two year mark (my oldest white wine just hit the 1 year mark last month).

Edit: I just read Tony's comments and agree with him for your first batch. In fact, that's what I did with mine. Get it bottled, stash a case away for a year or two and drink the rest. :dg

Jim...correct me if I'm wrong but are you saying that your "long term" wine that is being aged/stored is kept at 67F in your basement and that your drinking/short term stash is what you actually have in your cooler? If this is true, is it safe to say that at periods of time you move your stash from the basement into your cooler when it's at it's "drinkable" stage? Has there been any effect on aging/storing at 67F that you've noticed?
 
My whites have generally been good at 4-6 mos. I think you will find a majority here don't try to age the white like the reds, myself included. I am a noobie -started feb of last year, have bottled 8 kits, 2 to bottle this weekend and 4 more bulk ageing right now, 1 just finishing primary.

My own strategy now is I try to bulk age everything 6 months before bottling. The whites I drink after bottle shock is worn off they are fair game, the reds I now try at bottling (so as not too waste the extra), again at 7 mos, then depends on how they taste after that, but a few from each are tucked away so I get to try long term.

In the beginning, I made a desert port that was awesome at bottling I kept drinking whenever a 'special' occasion appeared. My first red we used for topping off and drinking whenever -both those are about gone. After that we started with whites we had more to drink right away. Now I have 2 very drinkable whites, 2 reds that are 1 year old, 1 port that's close, and the rest .....still green....a weird hobby for someone that's impatient like myself to choose, but I love it.
 
I'll start off by saying that I'm a wine making noob. I'm currently doing my first kit which is the Eclipse Stag's Leap District Merlot.

I want to get the most out of these kits but also want to drink as well. However, there will always be a few tucked away for 4-5 years to see how they progress.
Kevin
Wow, what a choice for your first kit! you will be addicted in no time flat as this is a very distinctive wine. At three months past the recommended bottling date, it will already present a mouthful of plums, and will only get better with time. Like the others are suggesting, getting your first batch to the bottle and get some initial addiction forming habits (LOL) is a good idea. I especially like the notion of leaving the six not in a case for early drinking, aging the 1 case and (trying to) tuck the other case away for longer term aging.
 
Thanks to all for the info so far, it's greatly appreciated.



Jim...correct me if I'm wrong but are you saying that your "long term" wine that is being aged/stored is kept at 67F in your basement and that your drinking/short term stash is what you actually have in your cooler? If this is true, is it safe to say that at periods of time you move your stash from the basement into your cooler when it's at it's "drinkable" stage? Has there been any effect on aging/storing at 67F that you've noticed?

You pretty much nailed it. If I go downstairs to get a bottle of wine, I'm usually pulling it from the cooler. That doesn't necessarily mean that there is only "old" wine in there. Just that if I'm going to drink it, I generally prefer it at the cooler temp. So yes, I am moving wine from bulk storage to the cooler. Sort of like moving cattle from the pasture to the slaughterhouse corral. ;) I don't think there is anything terribly detrimental to the wine at 67. It may age a bit faster, but as others have mentioned, a steady temp is just as (or more) important as a cool temp. If your basement is at 65 all year long, it's a great place to store your wine, IMHO.
 

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