Disclosure: 3 years experience, and 2016 really doesn't count since "mistakes were made" ! Lol.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistakes_were_made
In 2017 I made 2 wines, a Primitivo, and a Cabernet. Both of these were made from grapes from Clarksburg, which is basically near Lodi but closer to the Sacramento River and thus cooler. I had about 14 gallons of each and bottled in the summer of 2018 (July). No oak, at all. About 5 cases of each total in the end, with some extras and 50/50 blends. When bottled both were overly fruity, light bodied and just "ok". Clean, but Carlo Rossi tasting. I was kind of blaming the yeast (D254)!
Fast forward 3 months and the Primitivo was much better. Drinkable, even, though simple and 1 dimensional. Pizza wine, and I'm ok with it since I like pizza. The Cabernet was Koolaide like without the sugar. But tonight, 4 months after bottling, I had 1/2 bottle of the Cabernet, and for the first time, it was pretty good and tastes like wine. Still simple and fruity, but darker and better with more complexity. I'm hoping this is a trend.
So these are pretty simple but well cared for wines. Anyone else noted similar changes? Or what to expect? I was thinking I'd drink it all as fast as I could since the 2018 is much better(and I have a lot more of it), but now I'm thinking the 2017 just needs more time. But what has me going is that it's never been tannin like and astringent. It's always been fruity like koolaide and now a bit more complex. Is this the progression others have seen? What I expected was too much tannin, with eventual softening, but instead, I got tutti-fruiti, now trending to a bit more complex. I'm still thinking I should not waste too much time drinking them up but I'm more hopeful now.
I was thinking I'll have a bottle a month and see what happens.
Appreciate any thoughts, words of wisdom or reassurance. I'm not pouring the 2017 out, at least not yet!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistakes_were_made
In 2017 I made 2 wines, a Primitivo, and a Cabernet. Both of these were made from grapes from Clarksburg, which is basically near Lodi but closer to the Sacramento River and thus cooler. I had about 14 gallons of each and bottled in the summer of 2018 (July). No oak, at all. About 5 cases of each total in the end, with some extras and 50/50 blends. When bottled both were overly fruity, light bodied and just "ok". Clean, but Carlo Rossi tasting. I was kind of blaming the yeast (D254)!
Fast forward 3 months and the Primitivo was much better. Drinkable, even, though simple and 1 dimensional. Pizza wine, and I'm ok with it since I like pizza. The Cabernet was Koolaide like without the sugar. But tonight, 4 months after bottling, I had 1/2 bottle of the Cabernet, and for the first time, it was pretty good and tastes like wine. Still simple and fruity, but darker and better with more complexity. I'm hoping this is a trend.
So these are pretty simple but well cared for wines. Anyone else noted similar changes? Or what to expect? I was thinking I'd drink it all as fast as I could since the 2018 is much better(and I have a lot more of it), but now I'm thinking the 2017 just needs more time. But what has me going is that it's never been tannin like and astringent. It's always been fruity like koolaide and now a bit more complex. Is this the progression others have seen? What I expected was too much tannin, with eventual softening, but instead, I got tutti-fruiti, now trending to a bit more complex. I'm still thinking I should not waste too much time drinking them up but I'm more hopeful now.
I was thinking I'll have a bottle a month and see what happens.
Appreciate any thoughts, words of wisdom or reassurance. I'm not pouring the 2017 out, at least not yet!!