Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon

[JimCook]

I didn't see a specific spot for making wine from grapes, so I'm dropping the post here in hopes that a moderator will relocate it if it's better housed somewhere else.


This past Saturday, I picked up 12 lugs (216 pounds total) of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. I was concerned that the grapes would be delivered while I was on my recent vacation, but as it turns out they arrived just after I came back. Thankfully, the retailer ordered more than what was pre-ordered and I now have two happy identical fermentations happening. I don't have pictures with me here but will post some from home later.


pH = 3.54, TA = 0.73%, 21.4 degrees Brix.


Anyone else get Chilean grapes this year?


By the way, George's latest issue of Pressing News mentions fresh grapes in the fall from Colavita. I purchased Zinfandel Colavita grapes last year and they were great.


- Jim

 

[Wade E]

Are you going to do MLF? I didnt get any grapes this year as I have a decent supply still and am trying to save up for my own crusher/destemmer. Going to go manual for now like Appleman did then when I can throw a motor on again like appleman did.

 

[JimCook]

I haven't tested the initial malic acid levels yet and the taste is still too sweet for a less quantitative test.
Here are some pictures...


After initial crushing/destemming...

Fermentation going - cap formed...

Cap Stirred Up...

- Jim

 

[JimCook]

Mike,


It's foam, actually. I paid an extra $2.50 per lug to have the grapes crushed and destemmed. When the product came gushing out of a 3" pipe propelled by a pump, it got a bit foamy. Then, there was the hour-ride home in the back of the van which, while it wasn't violent, didn't really give the liquid a chance to settle down. The first picture was taken right after I had carried that hundred-plus-pound fermenter into the house. The color of the juice was a yellow-green initially and quickly went to red within 24 hours.


- Jim

 

[grapeman]

Hey that is looking alright there Jim. I have a friend local that got a bunch of Chilean grapes a few weeks ago. I have had some of his from last year at a local planting session. I brought a Leon Millot- they are different, but similar. The Millot is fruitier and the Sauv more tannins. Keep us filled in on the progress.

 

[Dean]

your numbers look pretty good for those grapes! A slight bit low on the brix, but in most cases, that's a good thing! Did you do a cold soak for extra color or just right into the fermentation? Any additions to the must? Nutrient? Opti-Red? Anything like that? What was your yeast selection?

 

[Waldo]

Looking good Jim. I would like to try some of that blended with a Blackberry

 

[JimCook]

Did you do a cold soak for extra color or just right into the fermentation? Any additions to the must? Nutrient? Opti-Red? Anything like that? What was your yeast selection?

I added K-Meta at crush time and then the grapes sat for 24 hours before the yeast was pitched. I will be using extended maceration with this batch (although may use delestage to dump the seeds) and that should help further extract the elements present in the skins like I did with the Colavita Zinfandel grapes last fall.


I haven't posted the specificsup on my cellar page, but I did use DAP at 12 hours after the start of fermentation and used Opti-Red and Tannin VR Supra and some Bentonite up front. For both batches (mainly due to anticipating a tight supply of open carboys), I used ICV-D254 for the yeast. The starters were nice and active and I conditioned them with must once before adding them to the must. The fermentations are cruising along and I'll have a Brix reading when I'm back from work today. The obvious sweetness in the taste of the must is now starting to receed so I should be able to get a little sense of the taste of the acid profile. I'll run a malic test for initial levels to help determine if MLF will happen or not.


Waldo - a blackberry-cab wine sounds like a neat blend.


- Jim

 

[Wade E]

Sounding really good there Jim, Okay Ive never heard of this delestage, can you explain please?

 

[JimCook]

Wade,


Sure thing - Délestage is a technique to remove the seeds from a fermentation. On larger scale operations, instead of pumping over the wine is pumped out and the cap settles to the bottom of the fermenter. Then, the seeds are filtered out and the skins transferred back into the fermenting wine. The pursuit of the effort is to attempt to remove some of the harsher tannins, especially in wines that are already a bit tannic.


In my case, my 20-gallon fermenters happen to have a raised bottom that causes a depressed ring where the seeds seem to settle. I would do some scooping and transfer the wine, then dump the seeds and retransfer the contents back into the same fermenter. Since I'm planning on extended maceration, I'm considering this as an option to help keep the tannin levels manageable while still getting a good extraction.


- Jim

 

[Wade E]

Good info, thanks. I knew of this procedure just not that it had a name.

 

[JimCook]

The fermentation is moving along and the sugar levels were down to about 9 degrees Brix yesterday. Since the sweetness is getting lower, I can definitely note the 'green apple' tartness of the malic acid in the fermenting juice, so the MLF priority just jumped. I'll start this when the yeast fermentation gets closer to dry and let it run while the extended maceration is happening.
- Jim

 

[Waldo]

HUH !!!!

 

[JimCook]

Since I don't have spigots on the bottom of my fermenters (which look like mini-roughneck garbage cans) and due to time/manpower constraints, I did not perform the delestage as it would technically be needed. However, last night I did remove a chunk of seeds from the bottom of the fermenters and incoulated with MBR-31 malolactic bacteria. The specific gravity was a shade below 1.000 the day prior.
At this point, taste tests aren't showing an excessive amount of tannin but the malic acid tartness is pretty high. Those little bugs can go to work while the extended maceration is happening. I have a dinky little rental 2.5-pound CO2 tank to lay down gas blankets for the wine as well.


- Jim

 

[JimCook]

I pressed the Chilean Cab grapes last night. Before doing so, an Accuvin Malic Acid test showed <30 ppm, confirming what the taste tests had showed. I tested specific gravity, but I will take another reading later as the liquid was rather thick with particles. The 216 pounds of grapes ended up producing just under 16 gallons of juice. After I rack off of the sediment, it should be closer to 15 gallons by current estimates. So, everything is K-Meta'd and resting between four different carboys.


- Jim