My plan is to bottle everything in July, with the exception of 60 gallons, that will stay in the French Oak barrel until December.
Here is the dilemma. I have a less than inspiring 60 gallon barrel of wine. It is the result of receiving grapes that were said to be 25.5 brix, ended up being 23.5 brix. The flavor profile is really lacking to me and just is not a very good tasting wine in my opinion. All my other wine have gone well this year and if I could, I would like to bottle them individually. However, I do not want to bottle the other 50 gallons of wine and like it and have 60 gallons of wine that I don't like.
I will be doing some bench trials, but I am pretty confident that I will find that the more I blend with the barrel, the better it will be; this wine is light and relatively acidic. The other wines bigger, darker and higher pH.
Problem Child:
60 gallon 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (4% Petit Verdot) 23.5 brix, 3rd year French oak, + American oak spirals - Lacking
Blending Candidates:
This is what I have in container right now, that is mine to blend with the above:
15 gallon 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, 27 brix, new American oak, pretty darn good
15 gallon 2017 Tempranillo - light oak, best wine in the box
10 gallon 2017 Cab Franc - nice, medium oak, would go fast as a standalone
2.5 gallon 2017 Cabernet / Petite Sirah port
5 gallon 2016 Petite Sirah - no oak, rescued from another winemaker, good as a blender
2 gallon 2017 Petit Verdot
Would you throw the kitchen sink at the wine to get something that you enjoy overall or let the wine be and give it some time, to see if it comes around while I enjoy the other 250 bottles that came from the 50 gallons of blending candidates?
Here is the dilemma. I have a less than inspiring 60 gallon barrel of wine. It is the result of receiving grapes that were said to be 25.5 brix, ended up being 23.5 brix. The flavor profile is really lacking to me and just is not a very good tasting wine in my opinion. All my other wine have gone well this year and if I could, I would like to bottle them individually. However, I do not want to bottle the other 50 gallons of wine and like it and have 60 gallons of wine that I don't like.
I will be doing some bench trials, but I am pretty confident that I will find that the more I blend with the barrel, the better it will be; this wine is light and relatively acidic. The other wines bigger, darker and higher pH.
Problem Child:
60 gallon 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (4% Petit Verdot) 23.5 brix, 3rd year French oak, + American oak spirals - Lacking
Blending Candidates:
This is what I have in container right now, that is mine to blend with the above:
15 gallon 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, 27 brix, new American oak, pretty darn good
15 gallon 2017 Tempranillo - light oak, best wine in the box
10 gallon 2017 Cab Franc - nice, medium oak, would go fast as a standalone
2.5 gallon 2017 Cabernet / Petite Sirah port
5 gallon 2016 Petite Sirah - no oak, rescued from another winemaker, good as a blender
2 gallon 2017 Petit Verdot
Would you throw the kitchen sink at the wine to get something that you enjoy overall or let the wine be and give it some time, to see if it comes around while I enjoy the other 250 bottles that came from the 50 gallons of blending candidates?