Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
You bottled already? You don't mess around! Did you do the Lodi Zin, or the Amador?
What's in your glass tonight?
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You bottled already? You don't mess around! Did you do the Lodi Zin, or the Amador?
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Tonight is leftover chicken soup for dinner, washed down with some Dreaming Tree "Everyday" white. This is my first time having this wine and it is excellent. Complex aromatic and rich, with enough acid to give it a touch of a bite.
A $5 bottle of Frontera Chilean Carmenere. Man, that is good stuff for $5!
Pilsner
Stuck between bottles aging (CC WS Amarone and homemade Concord wine from backyard grapes) and carboys clearing (Apple, last summer's Concord and a cheapo Cellar Master Nebbiolo tweaked with extra elderberries - it actually came with one pack - oak staves and a cup of sugar).
So although I am thirsting for a glass of vino, I am instead drinking a Cooper's Pilsner tweaked with crystal malt and Saaz hops, lagered for 6 months (life got hectic!). Only bottled 3 weeks ago so still a bit fresh, but drinkable.
Stuck between bottles aging (CC WS Amarone and homemade Concord wine from backyard grapes) and carboys clearing (Apple, last summer's Concord and a cheapo Cellar Master Nebbiolo tweaked with extra elderberries - it actually came with one pack - oak staves and a cup of sugar).
So although I am thirsting for a glass of vino, I am instead drinking a Cooper's Pilsner tweaked with crystal malt and Saaz hops, lagered for 6 months (life got hectic!). Only bottled 3 weeks ago so still a bit fresh, but drinkable.
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Made three batches from California juice and grapes purchased from Harford Vineyard:
Lodi old vine zinfandel
Cab Franc
A blend of those two plus Cabernet Sauvignon
I started them in early September (and don't have a barrel) so they were ready for bottle aging. After MLF, tannins, oak spirals, etc, both are pretty good. Not ready to drink yet but good.
The zinfandel is better by far, which is interesting because I used the same process and additives. I have not tasted the blend yet, so we'll see how that one turned out.
I think I will do California Zin again, and Harford's traiminette, in the fall.
This spring I will try a carmenere and not sure what else....
Heather
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Okay, very exciting day..... (drum roll please......)
Opened my first real bottle from a kit wine -- a WE Selection International Argentine Malbec. This is only 1 year old; it tasted so good at bottling, that I decided to put them in the rotation starting after 1 year, rather than 18 mos., as for the others. To be clear, I have sampled several of my other wines (early drinkers and stuff I opened young for topping purposes), but this is the first one to come into the rotation.
It is very passable! Quite nice (although far from the richest wine I have ever had). It has no KT that I can discern (unlike my Mezza Luna and some of the toppers). Fruity, smooth, a little green/tart tasting perhaps, but a wonderful finish. I am pleased. Can't wait to see how it ages over the next three years.
Opened my first real bottle from a kit wine -- a WE Selection International Argentine Malbec. This is only 1 year old; it tasted so good at bottling, that I decided to put them in the rotation starting after 1 year, rather than 18 mos., as for the others. To be clear, I have sampled several of my other wines (early drinkers and stuff I opened young for topping purposes), but this is the first one to come into the rotation.
It is very passable! Quite nice (although far from the richest wine I have ever had). It has no KT that I can discern (unlike my Mezza Luna and some of the toppers). Fruity, smooth, a little green/tart tasting perhaps, but a wonderful finish. I am pleased. Can't wait to see how it ages over the next three years.
San Acacia Estate Red Wine
First full bottle of 2012 Estate Red Wine!
This was a "field blend" of Marquette, Noiret, and Corot Noir and were all hanging beautifully during our oldest daughters wedding in the back yard. Only 3 gallons were made so needless to say this is a very "limited production" wine! So how does it taste? In short…… WOW, this wine Rocks! Literally. It has a funky "rocks terroir" going on. Our soil is thin and very volcanic with lots of exposed and buried basalt rock. It taste almost like a syrah born from the rocks in WA state. Lots of dark fruits, plenty of tannin. Oak is spot on (French med toast). I think it still needs more time. Opened it last night and it was kind of closed and needing more air. Finished tonight after stuffing a cork in it and letting it sit in the winery. Tonight it has softened and expanded ten fold. This will be fun to see how it develops over the next 3 years. Very exciting to say the least!
First full bottle of 2012 Estate Red Wine!
This was a "field blend" of Marquette, Noiret, and Corot Noir and were all hanging beautifully during our oldest daughters wedding in the back yard. Only 3 gallons were made so needless to say this is a very "limited production" wine! So how does it taste? In short…… WOW, this wine Rocks! Literally. It has a funky "rocks terroir" going on. Our soil is thin and very volcanic with lots of exposed and buried basalt rock. It taste almost like a syrah born from the rocks in WA state. Lots of dark fruits, plenty of tannin. Oak is spot on (French med toast). I think it still needs more time. Opened it last night and it was kind of closed and needing more air. Finished tonight after stuffing a cork in it and letting it sit in the winery. Tonight it has softened and expanded ten fold. This will be fun to see how it develops over the next 3 years. Very exciting to say the least!
Paul,
Have you tried that CC Showcase Argentina Malbec kit you (as well as me) bought on sale from that place a year or so ago?
I really need to try a bottle, mine is at 1-year mark now, I pitched yeast Jan.18 2014.
I really need to try a bottle to see where it's at.
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No. I did not pitch yeast on that until Nov. 1, 2014! I have not even bottled it yet.
I did not realize I dallied quite so long before starting it. (My winemaking was pretty much on hiatus this past summer due to my roofing project..) Sorry!
BTW, you pitched yeast in Jan 2014, right?
I will be honest, I don't know if I ever tasted Chardonnay.
So I bought a bottle of this shown in picture.
I loved it.
I like white wines off dry but this Chardonnay proved me I may like it dry.
Can we make Chardonnay this good, from kits, fresh grape or juice bucket and how long to age it??
So I bought a bottle of this shown in picture.
I loved it.
I like white wines off dry but this Chardonnay proved me I may like it dry.
Can we make Chardonnay this good, from kits, fresh grape or juice bucket and how long to age it??
Yes, You can make a very good Chardonnay from a Kit. That wine is sorta special as it scored an amazing 90pts on Wine Spectator recently.
COLUMBIA CREST
Chardonnay Columbia Valley Grand Estates 2012
Score: 90
Release Price: $12
Country: USA
Region: Washington
Issue: Nov 15, 2014
Designation: Best Values
Silky and seductive, with pear and spicy grapefruit flavors on a taut, polished frame, lingering with intensity and brightness on the glowing finish. Impressive for the price. Drink now. 160,000 cases made. –HS
COLUMBIA CREST
Chardonnay Columbia Valley Grand Estates 2012
Score: 90
Release Price: $12
Country: USA
Region: Washington
Issue: Nov 15, 2014
Designation: Best Values
Silky and seductive, with pear and spicy grapefruit flavors on a taut, polished frame, lingering with intensity and brightness on the glowing finish. Impressive for the price. Drink now. 160,000 cases made. –HS
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Minimum of 3-6 months usually.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Varis,
You can make a very good Chardonnay from a kit, and not even a high end kit. Like Mike said, 3-6 months aging. But at a year, most white kit wines are quite good. I did a Renaissance Aussie Chardonnay a while back. Fermented it in a brand new Vadai and otherwise, followed the kit instructions. At 6 months, it was pretty good. At a year, VERY good.
You can make a very good Chardonnay from a kit, and not even a high end kit. Like Mike said, 3-6 months aging. But at a year, most white kit wines are quite good. I did a Renaissance Aussie Chardonnay a while back. Fermented it in a brand new Vadai and otherwise, followed the kit instructions. At 6 months, it was pretty good. At a year, VERY good.
I did the CC Showcase Chardonnay a while ago and it just kept getting better and better. At 2 years (last bottle) it was stunning. No oak. Even SWMBO who doesn't care much for Chardonnay loved that wine.
Started the WE Selection California Chardonnay last night, which is a 16L kit. I added a pound of white raisins to primary. It came with both oak powder and oak chips. Pretty nice overall for a kit at the $99 USD mark.
Looking forward to this one, as I have never made Chardonnay before but I like to drink it!
Heather
Looking forward to this one, as I have never made Chardonnay before but I like to drink it!
Heather
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
"The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters."
But this is what I'm drinking.
But this is what I'm drinking.
Okay, we drank this with dinner tonight. It was not at all bad -- quite enjoyable. It was fairly tart; I would say "notes of cranberries." The vitners evidently sweetened it up just a bit, presumably to offset this tartness. It was fairly well balanced, with surprising complexity. On the other side, it was a little thin and a bit light in color, but not bad at all. Very smooth tasting. Overall, I was pleased considering where it came from.
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