Cellar Craft CC Showcase Amarone

[ehammonds]

Okay, got my amarone delivered and i plan to start the kit tonight. I confess, I haven't opened it yet or read the instructions, most of which I'll follow exactly. However, in reading all I could find on this forum about this kit, I'd like to make a few tweaks which have been reviewed favorably. For example, I'd like to add a little grand cru tannin in primary. I'll add the grape skins and raisins ( which I believe this kit comes with) in the primary as well. I'll hydrate the yeast and include a little nutrient, once I'm happy with the SG, which I hope will be quite high. Not sure about chaptalizing with this? Suppose I'll wait to see how gravity reads after letting must sit with skins for couple hours. I'll bulk age it for a few months to clarify and stabilize before going in for about 8 weeks in my vadai barrel (barrel's still new, only second wine to go in). Following additional bulk aging six months or so, with another round in barrel if need be or addition of small amount of cellar tannin, I'll bottle in minimum 12 months, perhaps after filtering.

Any advice from those that have done this kit before? Recommended tweaks, nixing any of my proposals, etc? Target gravity?

Much thanks!

 

[bkisel]

I'm on day 5 doing the same kit but have no other experience with this particular kit. But here goes anyway...

I would adjust the SG to the high end of the range that the kit instructions give, (Brix: 22 – 26, Specific Gravity 1.092-1. 110), so adjust to 1.110 if you come in lower. I personally would not go higher if I hadn't gotten at least one of these under my belt.

Yes, the kit comes with grape skins, raisins (my raisins were packed under the bladder) and oak chips all of which go into the primary. If you're going to put the raisins and chips in a bag, such as a cheese cloth bag, I recommend that you tie the knot near the top of the bag. I didn't do that and the chips and raisins swelled tightly in the bag and I don't feel the chips and raisins were getting as much interaction with the must as they should. I've since loosened things up and am getting better circulation around these two ingredients. My grape skin bag was/is nice and loose allowing the skins to more properly do their thing.

Hope I've been of at least a bit of help.

 

[roger80465]

Okay, got my amarone delivered and i plan to start the kit tonight. I confess, I haven't opened it yet or read the instructions, most of which I'll follow exactly. However, in reading all I could find on this forum about this kit, I'd like to make a few tweaks which have been reviewed favorably. For example, I'd like to add a little grand cru tannin in primary. I'll add the grape skins and raisins ( which I believe this kit comes with) in the primary as well. I'll hydrate the yeast and include a little nutrient, once I'm happy with the SG, which I hope will be quite high. Not sure about chaptalizing with this? Suppose I'll wait to see how gravity reads after letting must sit with skins for couple hours. I'll bulk age it for a few months to clarify and stabilize before going in for about 8 weeks in my vadai barrel (barrel's still new, only second wine to go in). Following additional bulk aging six months or so, with another round in barrel if need be or addition of small amount of cellar tannin, I'll bottle in minimum 12 months, perhaps after filtering.

Any advice from those that have done this kit before? Recommended tweaks, nixing any of my proposals, etc? Target gravity?

Much thanks!

This is my favorite kit wine. I have made it many times and, honestly, have not tweaked it at all. This is one kit that needs no help, in my opinion. If it were mine, I would simply follow the instructions and let the product itself impress you.

Then, I would take the gross lees and spent grape skins and add another, low end, kit on top of that and ferment on that gross lees. Did that with a Barolo and, even young, is outstanding. Can't wait to see how this turns out in another year. Anyway, just one opinion. Keep us posted on your progress and what you decide to do.

 

[Olbuscap]

EH -- When you have everything in the primary, use your spoon and squash the grape pack several times and stir well. Take you SG reading. Go ahead and pitch the yeast but go back after a few hours and re-squash/stir. 18 hours after start, do the same thing again and STIR WELL. Take another SG reading which is going to be a lot closer to actual than the original reading. Lots of sweetness in that grape pack that needs time to dissolve.

 

[ryakar]

Reading of this kit many times on this form has me seriously pondering making it right away. I will follow post to see updates and ideas as people put them. I have other kits that I am making but the more I read it sounds just too amazing not to start. Would seem hard not to try it right away, though, lol.

 

[ehammonds]

Great tips, thanks! I'm really looking forward to making this, as I've heard awesome things about it. Patience will be tough though. It's a long wait

 

[bkisel]

Here is what I'm hoping for... A $125.00 US kit Amarone that measure up to a $40.00 a bottle commercial Amarone. 30x40, that's $1,200.00 of Amarone!

 

[bkisel]

...

Then, I would take the gross lees and spent grape skins and add another, low end, kit on top of that and ferment on that gross lees. Did that with a Barolo and, even young, is outstanding. ...

I froze and later reused the skins from a different RJS kit. Used it on an RJS VdV Italian Valpola - came out great.

Can you freeze the gross lees to be thawed and used at a later time?

 

[roger80465]

I froze and later reused the skins from a different RJS kit. Used it on an RJS VdV Italian Valpola - came out great.

Can you freeze the gross lees to be thawed and used at a later time?

That's a good question but I don't have an answer for you. I'll be interested to hear the response from others.

 

[FTC Wines]

I have made this Amarone twice. Now only a few bottles of 4 yrs old left, and 20+ bottles 2 yrs old. It's EXCELLENT! gave a 4 yr old bottle to my local ABC wine expert & he said he was 'very surprised as how good it was" also said it rivals a $50-60 bottle of Amarone. Time to make it again, can't believe its 2 yrs already! Roy

 

[bkisel]

I have made this Amarone twice. Now only a few bottles of 4 yrs old left, and 20+ bottles 2 yrs old. It's EXCELLENT! gave a 4 yr old bottle to my local ABC wine expert & he said he was 'very surprised as how good it was" also said it rivals a $50-60 bottle of Amarone. Time to make it again, can't believe its 2 yrs already! Roy

That is certainly a fine testimony. I'm really getting excited about this kit.

 

[joeswine]

Adding to the mix

amarone is a great wine so take your time it will go by quickly any way, as far as the use of cheese cloths and the like I like to have a free floating mix so that every element in the mix has a abundance of space to do what is expected of each one, I use a open fermenter this is how I do it.

 

[ehammonds]

Thanks. Great idea, much more true to the process and ensuring maximum exposure. I will try that too

 

[bkisel]

amarone is a great wine so take your time it will go by quickly any way, as far as the use of cheese cloths and the like I like to have a free floating mix so that every element in the mix has a abundance of space to do what is expected of each one, I use a open fermenter this is how I do it.

Now you tell me!

 

[foxyrand]

I've got this kit on deck, hoping to start in a week or two

ehammonds & bkisel - Are your kits from the new stock with the new graphics on the box? Mine is, and I opened it last week and it doesn't have a raisin pack, only a 2.6L grape pack.. Also what yeast did you use? Mine has EC-1118, but I'm considering swapping it for something else.

 

[ehammonds]

Yep, new version, no raisins and EC-1118 is what I have. I hope it's good

 

[ColemanM]

Hmm I don't recall having raisins in my kit. I started mine 10-28-2013 boy I would hate to think I missed them under my juice bag however I ran it through my Vadai barrel for almost four months and it is pretty darn good. Every bottle seems different though. Not sure of this phenomenon. One is bing cherry and fruity the next is over oaked. Will see what they taste like this summer/fall

 

[bkisel]

I've got this kit on deck, hoping to start in a week or two

ehammonds & bkisel - Are your kits from the new stock with the new graphics on the box? Mine is, and I opened it last week and it doesn't have a raisin pack, only a 2.6L grape pack.. Also what yeast did you use? Mine has EC-1118, but I'm considering swapping it for something else.

I hope I've been talking about the same kit as the OP. Mine is an RJ Spagnols Cellar Classic Winery Series 18 Litre Italy Amarone Style. Don't know if the box has new graphics but the box date on the peel off box label is 20140415. Yes, EC-1118 and raisins in a flat silver colored bag found underneath the bladder as opposed to on top with all the other stuff.

Once again I hope I haven't confused things by talking about a different Amarone kit.

Update: Sorry! I've been talking about a different Amarone kit!

 

[ehammonds]

This is the one I am making now. No raisins that I saw

 

[ehammonds]

Here's the bottom part of box