WineXpert Eclipse Pinot Noir

[Jc5066]

I'm about to start this kit. Has anyone done this kit? Have they tweeked or ran as is?

 

[mredge73]

No but just did a similar Eclipse Cab kit for the first time a few weeks ago.
The skins are a PIA, they will not flow out of the fill hole so you have to cut and squeeze them out.
My juice bag was also a PIA, had two chambers in it for some reason with juice in each one.

I rarely follow directions. Just don't make the same mistake as me and just put the skins in with the must; use the bag provided.
I lost a lot of volume and had a very hard time siphoning with the skins loose. They also don't all sink when cold crashed making this even more difficult. Because I barrel age mine I don't use the provided oak and fish guts.

Good luck.

 

[Brian55]

No but just did a similar Eclipse Cab kit for the first time a few weeks ago.
The skins are a PIA, they will not flow out of the fill hole so you have to cut and squeeze them out.
My juice bag was also a PIA, had two chambers in it for some reason with juice in each one.

I rarely follow directions. Just don't make the same mistake as me and just put the skins in with the must; use the bag provided.
I lost a lot of volume and had a very hard time siphoning with the skins loose. They also don't all sink when cold crashed making this even more difficult. Because I barrel age mine I don't use the provided oak and fish guts.

Good luck.

The Eclipse Pinot doesn't come with skins.

We skip the fish goo and the sorbate on all our dry reds as well.

 

[Brian55]

I'm about to start this kit. Has anyone done this kit? Have they tweeked or ran as is?

Bulk and/or bottle age for at least a year. The Eclipse kits get much better with age. All of our Eclipse kits in the 2 to 3 year old range are considerably better than when we start drinking them at 12 to 18 months.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

The eclipse kits are good on their own, no tweeking really needed. I agree with Brian55, skip the chitosan and sorbate.

 

[Jc5066]

I don't plan on adding of that. I will bulk age a minimum of 6 months and bottle age for the same.

 

[Dhaynes]

Do a search in this section for a thread with the title of "A Tale of Three Pinots". It's a thread I started two years ago comparing this kit to the Select and Vintners Reserve versions. I was hoping to have a two year tasting at my company's Christmas party this year but my father in law died two days before the party so we missed it. I'm trying to find another suitably large group to do another taste test. Will post the results if I can find a way to get enough people.