RJ Spagnols Carmenere Kits

[SandbaggerOne]

Hello all,

Long-time lurker, first time poster. I would like to make some Carmenere, and am torn between the CC Showcase, Spagnols EP, and Spagnols Winery Series kits. CC has a grape pack, so does Spagnols Winery series, but EP has dried grapes. EP also has 18L vs 16L of juice for the others. I take it that I should value the juice volume over grape vs raisin packs but I was curious if anyone had experience with at least 2 of these kits.

Cheers,
Colin

 

[cpfan]

According to the description on the RJ Spagnols web-page, their Chilean Carmenere has grape skins...

This Carmenère is fermented on Genuwine Winery Dried Grape Skins and offers liberal flavours of fresh blackberries, plums and violet. Full-bodied, this exquisite wine treats the palate to the richness of French toasted oak with smooth silky tannins and succulent dark fruits. An excellent balance between freshness, fruit and structure gives an ample and impressively persistent finish.

However, it also says "Subject to Regional Availability". Not sure what that means, but it could mean Canada only, or even Western or Eastern Canada only.

Steve

 

[SandbaggerOne]

According to the description on the RJ Spagnols web-page, their Chilean Carmenere has grape skins...
Steve

Right, EP seems to be dried skins (fancy raisins?) vs wet crushed grape packs for the others.

 

[Putterrr]

Hello all,

Long-time lurker, first time poster. I would like to make some Carmenere, and am torn between the CC Showcase, Spagnols EP, and Spagnols Winery Series kits. CC has a grape pack, so does Spagnols Winery series, but EP has dried grapes. EP also has 18L vs 16L of juice for the others. I take it that I should value the juice volume over grape vs raisin packs but I was curious if anyone had experience with at least 2 of these kits.

Cheers,
Colin

I have made both the RJS Carmenere's . My winery series is 18 months and the Ep was just bottled at 8 months. At this point I would lean toward the WS as it seems to have more tannins which appeals to me. The Ep is a bit tart but still very nice with a meal. Both are very fruit forward and leave the impression of sweetness. Recently I had an 18 month bottle of EP Shiraz that I was not overly impressed with at 8 months. It was fantastic and my wife really liked it to I'm sure the carmenere (s) will just get better from here. I would not be put off by the dried skins as one of the best kits i have done (RQ TREK) was dried skins. I dont think you can go wrong with either one. I have not done any showcase but i have seen good things said on here about their products

cheers

 

[SandbaggerOne]

Thanks for the response. I tend toward tannic wines myself, so that's useful, though the difference in age between your two wines is large. I guess I was just surprised the EP, which is the higher end kit, has dried grapes while the Winery series has wet, but I take your point that it doesn't mean anything in terms of quality.

Cheers,
Colin

 

[bkisel]

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry, not familiar with the kits you've mentioned.

 

[Dino466]

I made the RJS EP - it is great - a little over a year. One of the best I have made - I am going to try the WS next.

 

[SandbaggerOne]

Thanks Dino, it seems like I wouldn't go wrong with either RJS kit.

 

[DoctorCAD]

I'm doing a juice bucket carmenere. It is at 6 months, settled snd filtered. The acid is horribly low, 3.20. Picked up some calcium carbonate to try to fix it. Its pretty much undrinkable right now.

 

[SandbaggerOne]

DoctorCAD, where did you get the bucket? Carmenere is a fairly low-acid varietal. Could you have a lot of dissolved CO2 still?

 

[Rocky]

Hey, Colin.

I have made two batches of Carmenere, one from Chilean juice and one an RJ Spagnols Winery Series kit. The juice bucket (L'Uva Bella) started 3-31-12, was improved with the addition of a Syrah grape pack (2.2 Kg) and began with an SG of 1.104. Fermentation ended at SG 0.996 and I bulk aged it in glass with Heavy Toast American oak cubes for about 10 months. The wine was great.

I have the RJS kit going at present. I started it on 5-20-13 and out of the box had an SG of 1.105 which I cut to 1.096 with additional water. It finished with an SG of 0.994 on 5-31. I stabilized and fined and added Medium Toast American oak cubes to the carboy. On 9-29-13, I moved it to a barrel and that is where it is at present. Sample tastings show the wine has great promise.

 

[SandbaggerOne]

Thanks, Rocky!

 

[Ricky]

Sandbagger, just pulled the cork about a half hour ago, on EP Chilean Carmenere at 1 year and a day..... it`s good!!! the kit came with dried merlot skins and French toasted oak...and I put a medium plus french spiral, and some grand cru tannins in ,aged it for 10 months,in a carboy.... I`m kinda proud I made it....lol

 

[SandbaggerOne]

Good stuff, thanks. Apparently no one has made the CC showcase version. It seems like they are all good though.

 

[sdelli]

I'm doing a juice bucket carmenere. It is at 6 months, settled snd filtered. The acid is horribly low, 3.20. Picked up some calcium carbonate to try to fix it. Its pretty much undrinkable right now.

Not sure what you meant by 3.20 for an acid reading .... Sounds like a ph reading......If your acid is at .32 that is low.... If your ph is at 3.20.... That is fine for aging. You can add some tartaric acid to it if it tastes flabby.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Not sure what you meant by 3.20 for an acid reading .... Sounds like a ph reading......If your acid is at .32 that is low.... If your ph is at 3.20.... That is fine for aging. You can add some tartaric acid to it if it tastes flabby.

Yep, 3.20 was pH. After filtering and degsssing it is now 3.48, but TA is only .45.

It tastes like crap, not flabby, much too sharp. I ordered a new tub of acid blend but Im worried that it is already so acidic that any additional acid will wreck it.

 

[sdelli]

Yep, 3.20 was pH. After filtering and degsssing it is now 3.48, but TA is only .45.



It tastes like crap, not flabby, much too sharp. I ordered a new tub of acid blend but Im worried that it is already so acidic that any additional acid will wreck it.

Numbers out of wack a little but sometimes they don't follow all the rules..... TA of only .45 should have a higher ph then 3.48.... If you add acid only add Tartaric... Not a blend. Tartaric is the basic acid already in grapes. I would recommend you calibrate your ph tester one more time and take another reading... Make sure the calibrating solution is still good. You could be tasting the acid blend you used in it now.... By your readings it could use about 20 grams of tartaric acid.... By your taste... It needs to be left alone. Not sure if it is cold enough in North Carolina to put it out for cold stabilization but that would not hurt either.... Can you tell how much of kmeta and acid blend you added to this 6 gallon batch? Did you add anything else?

 

[DoctorCAD]

Numbers out of wack a little but sometimes they don't follow all the rules..... TA of only .45 should have a higher ph then 3.48.... If you add acid only add Tartaric... Not a blend. Tartaric is the basic acid already in grapes. I would recommend you calibrate your ph tester one more time and take another reading... Make sure the calibrating solution is still good. You could be tasting the acid blend you used in it now.... By your readings it could use about 20 grams of tartaric acid.... By your taste... It needs to be left alone. Not sure if it is cold enough in North Carolina to put it out for cold stabilization but that would not hurt either.... Can you tell how much of kmeta and acid blend you added to this 6 gallon batch? Did you add anything else?

I added only k-meta at racking, just like all my kit wines. Oh, and toasted oak chips. Nothing else. The place where I got the juice told me that I didn't need to.

I think I had a spontaneous MLF, which I stopped as soon as I saw it. Hope that didn't wreck it.

 

[sdelli]

I added only k-meta at racking, just like all my kit wines. Oh, and toasted oak chips. Nothing else. The place where I got the juice told me that I didn't need to.



I think I had a spontaneous MLF, which I stopped as soon as I saw it. Hope that didn't wreck it.

Yes... But how much kmeta? How much acid blend?

 

[DoctorCAD]

Yes... But how much kmeta? How much acid blend?

Acid blend - none.

K meta a few crushed tabs at every racking, just like I always do. There ia always some left in my filter, but it tested pretty low, like between 13 and 20 ppm after filtering. I was going to add 3 crushed in my bottling bucket, but have not due to the awful taste.

Aside from a batch of peach that I didn't cut enough off around the pits, this is by far the worst tasting wine I have ever made.