RJ Spagnols EP Amarone, should I wait?

[millwright01]

I just purchased anEP Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. Warm weather is coming so cold stabilizing in my garage will not be an option. I don't have a freezer to use but might be able to get it into my old beer fridge. Will it drop diamonds in bulk aging after a few months at 20* Celcius (68* F) if I don't add metataric crystal stuff, or does it need to be colder? (like in my fridge) My other option is waiting till fall to make the kit. I've done some searching and read a fair bit about this, just looking for some advice "from experience"

 

[rjb222]

Do you have a basement? This wine would benefit from a bulk age for sure. But you would want it cooler. The diamonds will form on the sides regardless of temperature but will reform at a colder temperature if the wine temperature drops cooler than the wine was aged at.

 

[millwright01]

Yes, I will keep it in the basement. I have a cool room so it will stay around 75*F or less.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Most kits have good acid balance and it is not a huge problem.

 

[phat]

I started one a couple of months ago, and it's just bulk aging. Since I have no intention of bottling it any time soon I'm not too worried about it. based upon the comments I've seen here (and not actual experience with the kit) I might expect some wine diamonds forming in the bottles, but to be honest, I've had this in many higher end bottles of commercial wine I have bought (including several amarones) and this really doesn't bother me - I almost *expect* a little bit of sediment or crystals in a lot of the old world wines I buy. The kit does come with some Metatartaric Acid that can be added before bottling to prevent crystal formation for a while. but not sure if I will or will not do that.

To my mind, if I do decide I want to cold stabilize this kit, I could always rack it and do it at an appropriate time in the fridge, on the flip side, my bulk aging room is bare concrete wall in my basement underground and stays quite cool so I may find it drops some of the crystals there.

I'm interested to see how everyone else who has done this responds though. I'm kind of taking a "wait and see" approach with this kit as it spends a year or so in the carboy.