RJ Spagnols RJS Dashwood New Zealand Pinot Noir

[admiral]

Well, in Louisville today we have snow. (About 6 inches on top of 2 inches from the weekend.) (See pictures below.) What to do, what to do?

I know, I'll make wine!! How about a RJS Dashwood New Zealand Pinot Noir? Great! I was excited! So excited that I didn't put the bentonite into the mixture until after I added the juice to the warm water. Never fear, I added it and then stirred like crazy and got it all mixed in. I then added the Hungarian Oak cubes that come with this kit and then took my initial SG which was 1.096. If this ferments to dry at SG .996 then I will have a Pinot Noir with an ABV of 13.2%.

I then added the grape skins that come with this kit. I have never used this type of additive before. It looked a awful lot like course sawdust. I decided to not put it in a bag and to go for greater extraction by putting it directly into the must. When moistened, it had a great aroma. I stirred like crazy but this stuff adheres to everything. When I pulled my spoon out of the must, it looked like a fuzzy snake. Oh well. Finally I pitched the yeast on top of the moistened skins and put the lid on. I am looking forward to seeing how this one works out.

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[Wade E]

I didnt know the Pinot comes with a grape skin kit, thats going o be a good oe. Ill have to make 1 of those cause I dont have a Pinot in my cellar!

 

[admiral]

I could not get these next two into my previous post. It is very difficult to post multiple pictures. Ithink you have to post them in reverse order.

 

[admiral]

I didnt know the Pinot comes with a grape skin kit, thats going o be a good oe. Ill have to make 1 of those cause I dont have a Pinot in my cellar!

Wade, does that look like grape skins on the surface of the must?

 

[IQwine]

sorta looks like toasted oak from here

 

[robie]

Yep, it looks like sawdust to me, too.
I have not make a RJS kit, yet, so I would have expected something like
the "grape jelly" that comes in the cellar craft kits, except that RJS does say, "dried" grape skins, doesn't it?

I'll bet it will turn out great.

 

[admiral]

Yes, it looks like sawdust. Tastes like sawdust. I think it must be sawdust. Although I have never seen RJS's dried grapeskins.

 

[ibglowin]

Wow, you have stuff that good just lying around the house waiting for a snow day!

Sooooo jealous. Can't wait the hear the updates and tasting notes.

 

[ASAI]

Hate to jump in the middle; but, DID you check under the juice bag for the grape skins?

 

[admiral]

Sure did, pulled the juice bag out of the box. Thanks.

 

[admiral]

Wow, you have stuff that good just lying around the house waiting for a snow day!



Sooooo jealous. Can't wait the hear the updates and tasting notes.

Been waiting for a special day.

 

[Wild Duk]

I started this kit on 8/22/09.....According to my notes it only had hungarian oak and some toasted oak, no grape skins......


The product code was 20081126, so it possibly could have changed.....


Plan on bulk aging this for 1 year min....I hope its a good one!!!

 

[Catrys]

I started this one about a month ago, and I didn't find any grape skins, either. I was really surprised because I thought all En Primeur kits came with skins, and that's the main reason I chose this kit. However, upon reading RJS's website, I noticed that the description of this kit does not say, "With Winery Grape Skins" like other kits have in their description.

I'm sure it will still be great, just doesn't have the skins.

 

[admiral]

It is working away. The winery smells great. I was surprised at the small cap this one made and it went away quickly. The oak dust has stopped floating on top as well.

 

[ibglowin]

It actually makes perfect sense when you think about it for a moment. Pinot Noir is a very soft, delicate red. Not a giant bold chewy red. No grape pack needed!

I started this one about a month ago, and I didn't find any grape skins, either.  I was really surprised because I thought all En Primeur kits came with skins, and that's the main reason I chose this kit.  However, upon reading RJS's website, I noticed that the description of this kit does not say, "With Winery Grape Skins" like other kits have in their description.I'm sure it will still be great, just doesn't have the skins.

 

[Wade E]

I wouldnt think a Pinot Noir would have grape skins either hence why I was surprised when they said it did.

 

[admiral]

It was my fault for thinking it. As Catrys noted above, most of the En Primeur kits have Genuwine skins, and I assumed the same. Then I opened the box and there was an unlabeled aluminum envelope. Again, I assumed that this was the grape skins as I had never seen oak dust packaged this way. So when I opened the package, I was surprised. Yes, if I had thought about it, I would have come to the conclusion that Pinot Noir doesn't require grape skins. But, who needs to think when you can assume.

 

[Catrys]

You're right, Mike and Wade, if I had stopped to think about the fact that this is a Pinot, it would make more sense that it doesn't have grape skins.

I guess I just figured that since the skins added to, say, a Cab kit make it more like a commercial Cab, then skins added to the Pinot kit should make it more like a commercial Pinot.

 

[Dean]

The Pinot is the only red that does not come with Genuwine skins.

 

[admiral]

I racked this one to secondary today. SG .998. I can't believe the taste of this pinot! Oh yes, it is very young and harsh but, behind the harshness there is cherry and raspberry fruit. My wife said, "It is young, but it is good already." The oak has supplied very firm tannins but there is also a hint of vanilla from the Hungarian oak. I am very pleased.