Cellar Craft Super-Tuscan Rosso Fortissimo Reserve

[FineWino]

Got mine started last night in my 10 gal "trash can" and opted to use a larger 5 gallon nylon straining bag for the grape pack.

Masta, What was your initial SG? How about yours, Duncan and FW?

I have made the Amarone, but not the Super Tuscan (yet!).


I think my Amarone stared around 1.087, but that was before the grape pack addition. The grape pack adds a lot of sugar. The Amarone is quite alcoholic when done.

 

[ras1]

Anyone have any update on how they are progressing with this kit?

 

[K&GB]

Anyone have any update on how they are progressing with this kit?

Started my kit on 2-9-08, bulk aged until 9-13-08, then bottled. Opened my first bottle last night. I'm not good at description of tastes and smells, but here goes.


Woody-smoky smell has decreased considerably, but still noticeable. Starting to develop some fruit on the nose. Tastehas a tart edge with pronounced woody flavor. Hintof underlying fruit (berry) is detectable, but masked by first two tastes. Lackssubtle fruit flavorsandmouth feel associated with more mature wines. I'm sure it just needs to bottle age six months or so.

 

[Jack on Rainy]

ras,
We have this one bulk aging right now. Started it 2/22/08 and extended lees contact in secondary as discussed elswhere on this forum. It has been clarified. Tasted it last weekend and thought it a little light on oak but pretty well balanced at this stage. We might add a bit of oak for a few weeks but overall thought this one of thetwo best reds we have donesince we started almost two years ago.

 

[dfwwino]

I was very late starting this LE kit. I started it on November 12. Tonight, I racked from the secondary fermentation to another carboy, degassed, added the stabilizers and clarifiers. In the process of racking, I had set the siphon hose end near the top of the carboy to splash the wine and drive off CO2. I did not have a clip, but just set it there and turned around to clean my fizz-x. The hose popped out, spraying some wine around the carboy. Because experience has taught me that I do this a lot, I always set the carboy in a busboy bin. The bin was pretty clean and the wine smelled awesome. So I lifted the carboy out of the bin, tilted the bin and drank about a 1/2 glass of wine. This is the best wine I have tasted at the 20 day stage in my 14 years of winemaking. It has great body and color. This could be an outstanding wine.

 

[dfwwino]

By the way, my SG was 1.085 before I added the superpak of grapes. I am really impressed with this kit. I wish I had ordered more of the same.

 

[Jack on Rainy]

Hey Administrator, why is this moved out of the "Cellar Craft" area?

 

[smurfe]

Hey Administrator, why is this moved out of the "Cellar Craft" area?

Jack, unless someone has moved it in the last hour since you posted, this is in the Cellar Craft forum. It doesn't look like it has been moved though.

 

[Jack on Rainy]

I found it in the "Otherr wine kits" category last night and couldn't see it then under "CC". But maybe I missed it there.
Nomatter, I'm glad to find it again. I have been following this topic closely because I have this kit going and it is my first CC kit. It was so highly spoken of, I thoughtI'd make it for my 70th birthday party in 2011!
We'll see if I can be that patient......

.

 

[ras1]

I racked my Rosso Limited today and snuck a sample (been in Bulk since March 2008)<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

This is a very impressive wine with a lot of body and complexity. I am very glad that I did the 2 French Stavin barrel replacement staves (along with the Hungarian cubes that came with the kit sans the sawdust). This seems to have imparted a good level of Oak and tannin.

Still needs some more time but it is developing pretty good at this point.

 

[Jack on Rainy]

Hey ras1, please keep us up to date. I have this one bilk aging and on oak right now and am interested in how others oare doing with it.

 

[Jack on Rainy]

There seemed to be a lot of interest in this kit a year or so ago but the last post was mine 6 months ago so maybe that interest has waned.


It shouldn't have!


We opened one of these last night and it was the best red we have made to date! How about you others who make this one? How did it come out? We are liking this one!
J

 

[vcasey]

No way has interest waned! I wish I had picked up the LE but I've read enough good things about the regular one and the Carmenere that they are both at the top of my next to purchase list. So thanks for the update.
VC

 

[Mharris335]

How about an update now? I would love to know what you think after 2 years.

 

[ras1]

I still have mine in bulk. (cellared at ~65)


It is probably almosttime to bottle.


I'll post a note back once bottled and sampled.

 

[ibglowin]

Woah!

You have much patience grasshopper!

Please do give us some tasting notes.

 

[Bacci]

I started the same kit today, Rosso - Cuvee LR, my first CC kit. SG camein lowtoo,at 1.083 and a little concerned but may try another reading tomorrow and see if grapepack increases. My recent RJ Zin WS was only 1.09 w/grapepak. I've got about 2 in. below 7.9 gal fermenter. Hope I don't need the bus pan it's sitting in. My lid is not snapped on, will that effect foaming? Temp is 74ish

 

[v1rotate]

I started the same kit today, Rosso - Cuvee LR, my first CC kit. SG camein lowtoo,at 1.083 and a little concerned but may try another reading tomorrow and see if grapepack increases. My recent RJ Zin WS was only 1.09 w/grapepak. I've got about 2 in. below 7.9 gal fermenter. Hope I don't need the bus pan it's sitting in. My lid is not snapped on, will that effect foaming? Temp is 74ish

I did a regular RM Cab last year and the SG before adding the GP was 1.078. Folks who have taken before and after SG readings report an increase of .02. That would put you at 1.083 + .02 = 1.103 for a starting SG.

If you have the ability to cool down your fermenting room, you can try to keep the must temp at around 75' to reduce the chance of an overflow of your bucket. I doubt that securing the lid will affect the amount of foaming. I normally leave the lid loose for all my ferments.

 

[tonyt]

Hasn't waned with me, have one in the wish list.

 

[bcfryer]

Placed an order from George just this evening. The 2010 CC Super Tuscan kit in the Specials area. I am looking forward to this one. I have been reading allot on the forum about things like how long to keep in the primary. Some have suggested to leave it longer in the primary up to 14 days then transfer to a secondary. I have never used a bag for skins but the CC red mountain cab kit I just put into stabilize phase taught me a lesson about how clean it is to use a mesh bag vs trying to transfer from the primary afterthings settle out. I will use the suggestion to use a cut off spoon to hold the bag down in the Primary. This forum is great. Seemsthe moderator guys really enjoy what they are doing.


Thanksfrom Monroe County , Georgia --- Ben