So, in front of me, after some racking, are three tumblers, each with a little bit in it..
Tumbler number 1) is an RJS En Primeur Italian Amarone. It is a little bit out of the racking cane, right at the end of racking from a stablized carboy into bulk aging. The wine was started April 1, and has now been topped up and lurked away to the nicely cool corner of my cellar to be ignored for a while. This Tumbler is suboptimal, as it has some sediment in it.
Tumbler number 2) is the 23 litre Paklab Onyx V Argentinan Malbec. This kit was started in January, and has spent a good number of months bulk aging. it was just taken off some french oak, and will be bulk aged for a while longer before being bottled.
Tumbler number 3) is the carboy topper wine - $5.24 a bottle "Rossi" "red wine" - dirt cheap red chuck. (at least, dirt cheap for canada)
the taste speaks for itself. in spite of the sediment, the very young RJS is head and shoulders above either of the other two. I could drink this *now* and enjoy it. I will refrain, (and have assisted in that endeavor by hiding the carboy in the furthest reaches of the cool room where I have to crawl in to check it)
The topper wine compares well to the paklab. The paklab malbec still has a lot of "kit taste" - or I'd almost still call it "kit nose" - It is brilliantly clear, having been racked onto the oak a couple months ago, there's almost no sediment at all - just all done french oak chunks, in the bottom of the carboy. It is noticably better after sitting, so I do expect som more age will bring out some better characteristics of it. .
The topper is well, cheap red, that obviously has a tiny bit of backsweetening to it. neither the topper or the paklab is very full bodied. I believe with some aging, once the kit taste departs, the paklab kit *may* surpass the topper - it's color is brilliantly clear, but definately not very deep, so this will at best be a rather thin version of a malbec. I believe it will eventually be quite drinkable, but nothing to write home about.
Tumbler number 1) is an RJS En Primeur Italian Amarone. It is a little bit out of the racking cane, right at the end of racking from a stablized carboy into bulk aging. The wine was started April 1, and has now been topped up and lurked away to the nicely cool corner of my cellar to be ignored for a while. This Tumbler is suboptimal, as it has some sediment in it.
Tumbler number 2) is the 23 litre Paklab Onyx V Argentinan Malbec. This kit was started in January, and has spent a good number of months bulk aging. it was just taken off some french oak, and will be bulk aged for a while longer before being bottled.
Tumbler number 3) is the carboy topper wine - $5.24 a bottle "Rossi" "red wine" - dirt cheap red chuck. (at least, dirt cheap for canada)
the taste speaks for itself. in spite of the sediment, the very young RJS is head and shoulders above either of the other two. I could drink this *now* and enjoy it. I will refrain, (and have assisted in that endeavor by hiding the carboy in the furthest reaches of the cool room where I have to crawl in to check it)
The topper wine compares well to the paklab. The paklab malbec still has a lot of "kit taste" - or I'd almost still call it "kit nose" - It is brilliantly clear, having been racked onto the oak a couple months ago, there's almost no sediment at all - just all done french oak chunks, in the bottom of the carboy. It is noticably better after sitting, so I do expect som more age will bring out some better characteristics of it. .
The topper is well, cheap red, that obviously has a tiny bit of backsweetening to it. neither the topper or the paklab is very full bodied. I believe with some aging, once the kit taste departs, the paklab kit *may* surpass the topper - it's color is brilliantly clear, but definately not very deep, so this will at best be a rather thin version of a malbec. I believe it will eventually be quite drinkable, but nothing to write home about.
