WineXpert Eclipse New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

Bottled this guy yesterday. Did a filter and bottle in one step. Let me tell you this is the real deal. Finally! I have made several Sauvignon Blanc kits looking for something that was close to a NZ Sauv Blanc and been disappointed. This does not disappoint. Its only 2.5 months old but can easily be drunk now. I did a yeast substitute that worked out really well. Went with Lalvin BA-11. This thing zings on the pallet from the get go and is loaded with lemongrass, apricots and tropical fruit notes. If you like the NZ Sauv Blanc wines this will not disappoint!

Eclipse SB

Concur,
on my 4th kit and have made several for friends. As a tweak, added about 1 tablespoon of grapefruit zest to the last 2 weeks of secondary and did an additional rack/vacuum degas , before filtering/bottling.
Good tweak.
Immediately consumable and consumed. Even better after 6 months.
Expensive ($140 Cdn - Wine Expert) but worth it.
Ric
Wine Time Factory

Mike, how's the price on that kit?

All of the Eclipse kits are considered ultra premium and the prices reflect that. One of our Sponsors Brew and Wine Supply has them on sale (15% off) for Black Friday. He has a post in the Sponsor section with the coupon code. IMHO this kit is worth every penny. Its getting harder and harder to source NZ Sauvignon Blanc grapes. I made the RJS EP Australian Sauvignon Blanc and there is no comparison taste wise.

Ah, just come for a trip to NZ!

You live in a special place and not just for growing Sauv Blanc grapes!

iVivid said:

Ah, just come for a trip to NZ!

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It's on my bucket list! I want to visit New Zealand so bad! I will be there someday!

NZ is a great place, I love it. Very beautiful, I love being by the sea, for the fishing and the views and the beaches, it's awesome. I live on the edge of the Manukau Harbour, so fishing is on the doorstep!

I'm not so much a white wine fan tho.
I do love a heavy Shiraz/Syrah type red.
Some from the Gimlett Gravels region in the Hawkes Bay I am rather fond of.
Pretty expensive tho unfortunately. But nice for a treat!

A few years ago I spent a month at a winery just outside of Kerikeri - the Bay of Islands is an absolutely beautiful area.

ibglowin said:

All of the Eclipse kits are considered ultra premium and the prices reflect that. One of our Sponsors Brew and Wine Supply has them on sale (15% off) for Black Friday. He has a post in the Sponsor section with the coupon code. IMHO this kit is worth every penny. Its getting harder and harder to source NZ Sauvignon Blanc grapes. I made the RJS EP Australian Sauvignon Blanc and there is no comparison taste wise.

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Glad to hear the eclipse NZ sauv blanc , kits turning out nice for ya , what didn`t you like about the EP aussi sauv blanc kit, I`m going to get that kit going in a couple days,did you tweek that kit? and did your do anything to your eclipse kit....I like the idea that rhattin said,the grapefruit zest...

When I bought that kit I was supposed to get an RJS EP NZ Sauv Blanc. When it arrived it was an RJS EP Australian Sauv Blanc. They had run out of the NZ Sauv Blanc and replaced it with what is now the only EP Sauv Blanc kit sold.

They are day and nights difference taste wise between the two.

Its still a pretty good wine, just not a NZ Sauv Blanc. Nothing else compares to a NZ Sauv Blanc.

I made the EP kit per directions. I made a yeast substitute on the Eclipse NZ Sauv Blanc. See the 1st post.

Ricky said:

Glad to hear the eclipse NZ sauv blanc , kits turning out nice for ya , what didn`t you like about the EP aussi sauv blanc kit, I`m going to get that kit going in a couple days,did you tweek that kit? and did your do anything to your eclipse kit....I like the idea that rhattin said,the grapefruit zest...

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ibglowin said:

When I bought that kit I was supposed to get an RJS EP NZ Sauv Blanc. When it arrived it was an RJS EP Australian Sauv Blanc. They had run out of the NZ Sauv Blanc and replaced it with what is now the only EP Sauv , kit sold.

They are day and nights difference taste wise between the two.

Its still a pretty good wine, just not a NZ Sauv Blanc. Nothing else compares to a NZ Sauv Blanc.

I made the EP kit per directions. I made a yeast substitute on the Eclipse NZ Sauv Blanc. See the 1st post.

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Thanks for replying ibglowin,enjoy your wine and weekend..

I bottled this one yesterday and it had an odd skunk aroma. Did you remember any skunk aroma at the bottling ?

I used both yeast provided. Note that I degased with vaccuvin and the wine was under vacuum since the clearing/degasing step (what I always do without problem). I followed the instruction timestamp + added an extra ¼tsp Kmeta at final racking.

I know Sauv. Blanc can have some asperagus, cat pee or other weird aromas, but I didn't expect skunk.

Will it be fine ?

If the wine had any kind of off odor it should not have been bottled. You may have some H2S in the wine and the only way to get rid of it is by splash racking. It will not dissipate over time as it is now locked up tight in the bottle.

So I imagine that if I decant before driniking I should be ok ?

That would be the absolute worst thing you could do. The sooner you catch and treat a wine problem the easier it is to deal with.

I see them for less that $116. A little over 3 bucks a bottle. I can justify that. But, that does not include shipping. About 30 bucks for me. $4.80 a bottle. Still mighty good.

ibglowin said:

That would be the absolute worst thing you could do. The sooner you catch and treat a wine problem the easier it is to deal with.

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OK, didn't know about splash racking. Maybe a copper rod would also do it ? I'll let it age in bottles and see how it'll come out. There is no way I'll uncork all bottles before letting them age.

I have the last bottle (1L) with lot of sediment that I will rack in a few weeks and I'll do experiments with it. I'll let you know.

FWIW, I encourage you to reconsider opening those bottles and solving the problem before aging. A skunky smell will not go away by itself and will likely taint the entire bottle beyond repair, if left to age. You have spent plenty of time and money getting this product to this stage. An extra step or two now can be a small price to pay for ensuring the wine is drinkable down the road. But, it is your money and your decision. I hope it turns out well for you.

I won't open those as the wine was still drinkable. All the wines I bottled to date were not so good at bottling but quite nice after a while in bottle, in a way I couldn't believe.

If it's still not pleasant in say 3 months, I'll bring it back to my LHBS. The product is satisfaction guaranteed.