WineXpert Help! Can't decide which kit

[Jblyth]

Fall is fast approaching and I want to get going on a late summer kit, but can't make up my mind. I've got a short-list of three kits with grape skins and need help from the forum deciding which one is best (all are grape skin packs). My choices are:

- Selection International Australian Petite Verdot w/ Grape Skins
- Selection International Italian Amarone with grape skins
- Selection International Spanish Tempranillo with grape skins

Generally i'm looking for any feedback from anyone who has made any (or all) of the kits above and would like to know your thoughts on taste, aging, quality etc....

Too many wines, so little time.

 

[eblasmn9]

I have done the Petit Verdot. At 9 months it has very fantastic dark fruit profile. It reminds me very much of a good cab. It has very nice color and aroma as well. All my friends I have shared this one with agree this is a very good wine. I have a wine making friend that has made the SI Amarone without skins since 2005. He and I have shared several bottles and I like this one a lot too. I just started the SI with skins version of this kit in July. Its too young to tell, but the early taste samples as well as aroma is very very good. I have not tried the Tempranillo in SI with skins line, but I do like a good Spanish Tempranillo. I guess you really can't go wrong with any of them. Several people have really liked the nero D'vola with skins as well.
I can see myself doing the Nero D'avola next year

 

[Rocky]

Jblyth, I can't help you with any of those choices, but I have made the Nero D'Avola from that series and it is great. I suspect any of them would be a good choice. I would go with whichever wine you like best. For me, from that list, it would be Amarone.

 

[SouthernChemist]

I don't think anyone has truly said anything bad about the entire grape skin series of Winexpert kits so far, and they do seem to drinkable earlier than other grape skin kits. Supposedly from what I've read, the company was able to remove the harsher tannins from the grape skins, which cuts down on the time needed for aging.

I've been really tempted by the Brunello, and it gets even more tempting everytime someone says something positive about this series of kits...