WineXpert Eclipse Italian Piedmont Barolo

[UglyJohn]

I picked this kit up yesterday and just opened it to take a look. Holy smokes does it have a lot of stuff to play with in it! 2 30 gram bags of oak powder, and 3 30 gram bags of American oak cubes. And of course, a bag of grape skins - my first in a kit.

I think this will be the big red I was hoping for! I'll be starting it up tomorrow, so I'll keep this thread updated.

 

[FABulousWines]

Oak and skins...that's the way to do it. Good luck with it, it sounds like a great kit.

 

[Geronimo]

That will be a huge red! I hope you can give some of it at least a year to mature. Just follow the instructions to the letter, you should be VERY happy with it!

 

[cpfan]

UglyJohn:

How much yeast, and are there 1 or 2 clearing packets?

Steve

 

[UglyJohn]

UglyJohn:

How much yeast, and are there 1 or 2 clearing packets?

Steve

If I remember correctly, there is only 1 yeast packet, but I know for sure there are 2 clearing packets - just like in the box of Eclipse Zin I picked up at the same time (but will be waiting a couple weeks to start).

I'll check tonight to be sure, and give you the type yeast as well.

 

[UglyJohn]

CP - there is one packet of Lalvin EC-1118 yeast.

I just pitched it a few minutes ago. The juice and all looked good, but I somehow caught a cough today, and have been sucking on cough drops all day so I didn't taste the juice. It sure smelled pretty good after I stirred the oak powder in! Well, the smell went nicely with cherry cough drops anyway...

 

[chitownwine]

FYI label peelers has on sale for 111 today, even though I said no kits for few months to good of a deal to pass.

 

[UglyJohn]

This is sitting quietly in secondary now, and I'm coming up on racking and stabilizing. I realized that my local supermarket doesn't carry a barolo or nebbiolo, so any recommendations on a cheap wine to top off with? Or should I splurge a bit at a real wine store?

 

[DoctorCAD]

Any Italian wine will work to top off, even a cheap Carlo Rossi Piasano, bonus is that you get a 1 gallon carboy out of the deal.

 

[vabeachbear]

This is sitting quietly in secondary now, and I'm coming up on racking and stabilizing. I realized that my local supermarket doesn't carry a barolo or nebbiolo, so any recommendations on a cheap wine to top off with? Or should I splurge a bit at a real wine store?

Topped mine with Sangiovese.

Mine is racked and currently clearing. Will oak with my oak tube and put in my barrel (which is close to neutral now after 6 previous kits) on Sept 1st, when the Amarone comes out.

Really like it at this point. This was my first Winexpert kit. All these higher end kits I age for 2 years. They all seem to have too much fruit up front without sitting.

 

[UglyJohn]

I racked and cleared this Sunday, and topped with a 1.75 L bottle of Valpolicella. The instructions say 8 days with the oak cubes before racking again, but I think this will sit much longer than that. Any suggestions on how long to leave on the oak?

 

[Boatboy24]

What kind of oak - cubes, chips, dust? If it's chips, everything will be out of them in about a week. Cubes could go 6 weeks. I imagine you probably have cubes, so I'd leave them in and taste every couple weeks. Remove when you think it's just a little too oaky. The oak will fall back after you rack off of it.

 

[joeswine]

Ugly John

Have you been my post on the SANGIOVESE kit much similar to what you are doing, the use of Oak in the heart format is strictly a taste preference, glad to see they put some powdered Oak in, I would have used a little more it would give you more texture and body ,although I am not a big red drinker myself I think my next venture I am going to custom make a super Tuscan, using SANGIOVESE, Valpolicella and Cabernet Sauvignon. You sound like you are on your way, be patient. It will work out.

 

[UglyJohn]

Thanks Joe! I did find your post on the Sangiovese and read about the last 5 pages of it. I'll have to go back when I have the time and read the entire thing.

Like I said earlier, this is my first wine playing with grape skins, and only my 4th kit. Shoot - my first kit is just now getting ready to try, and I'm holding off for a special occasion for the first bottle! So, I'm not ready to play with grapes and all yet - just maybe a slight modification to the instructions here and there.

 

[joeswine]

ugly john

GRAPE SKINS ARE NOT THE ONLY EFFECTIVE WAY,TO INCREASE THE WINES STRUCTURE,THINK ABOUT THEM THEY HAVE ALREADY GIVE UP THEN USEFULNESS SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN MAGICALLY SEALED AND SAVE FOR YOU????????

 

[UglyJohn]

What kind of oak - cubes, chips, dust? If it's chips, everything will be out of them in about a week. Cubes could go 6 weeks. I imagine you probably have cubes, so I'd leave them in and taste every couple weeks. Remove when you think it's just a little too oaky. The oak will fall back after you rack off of it.

Yes, they're cubes so I'll keep checking.

 

[UglyJohn]

GRAPE SKINS ARE NOT THE ONLY EFFECTIVE WAY,TO INCREASE THE WINES STRUCTURE,THINK ABOUT THEM THEY HAVE ALREADY GIVE UP THEN USEFULNESS SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEN MAGICALLY SEALED AND SAVE FOR YOU????????

Joe, I understand this, and the grape skin pack had a lot more to it than just dried skins. I tasted it, and it actually tasted a lot like a chunky grape jelly. I'm not far enough along in this hobby to branch out much away from the basic directions. I hope I get there some day.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

I racked and cleared this Sunday, and topped with a 1.75 L bottle of Valpolicella. ?

Why so much topping up?
Either you did not add enough water in the beginning or you are wasting too much when racking. One trick with racking, once done with the bulk of the wine, transfer the leas to a smaller bottle, let set a few days to settle and pour the clear back into the carboy. You will hardly waste anything.

 

[GaDawg]

Why so much topping up?
Either you did not add enough water in the beginning or you are wasting too much when racking. One trick with racking, once done with the bulk of the wine, transfer the leas to a smaller bottle, let set a few days to settle and pour the clear back into the carboy. You will hardly waste anything.

I use one of those posta storage containers

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/martha-stewart-collection-food-storage-container-18l-pasta-or-cracker?ID=638294&cm_mmc=Google_DMA_Home_Dinnerware_PLA-_-PLA+Home+Brands+-+Dinnerware_PLA+-+Dinnerware+-+Martha+Stewart+Collection+-+2-_-21061961485_-_-_mkwid_IprHDH3A|d{device}_21061961485%7C-%7CIprHDH3A

 

[UglyJohn]

Why so much topping up?
Either you did not add enough water in the beginning or you are wasting too much when racking. One trick with racking, once done with the bulk of the wine, transfer the leas to a smaller bottle, let set a few days to settle and pour the clear back into the carboy. You will hardly waste anything.

Well, this was the 2nd racking, and I got everything the siphon would pick up both times into the new carboy. And I did ensure I filled the primary to the proper level before I added the grape skins.

Oh, I may have forgot to mention that not all of the Valpolicella made it into the carboy. Some may have inadvertantly leaked into a glass or 2...