RJ Spagnols High End kits!?! Aging Life....

[JOESILVA401]

My rookie year is coming to a close as I started this hobby last winter! With that said, I made some high end kits (Amarone with grape skins and raisins, Valpolicella with grape skins, etc...). With that being noted, my local store said that most kit wines should be bottled after 1 year and drank within 3 years as after 4 years the quality will decrease and these types of wines don't hold mid/long term! On the contrary, I recently purchased a high-end Cabernet kit where the retailer suggested I lay it down for 4 years for maximum enjoyment! I'm confused! Any experienced kit makers who can share aging life, bottle life, and drinkable life experiences??? Thanks!!

 

[don67]

To my nose and taste buds most of the premium reds are very close to their peak after 12-18 months. The bigger ones (ie: Amarone, Rosso) seem to develop up to the 2-year mark. But that's about it. Beyond 2 or 3 years I would be concerned about deterioration, depending on the storage environment, cork quality, and the amount of preservatives used.

My advice to the average kit user is to start tasting after 8 months, but don't consume it in earnest until you notice the harshness fading away and the bouquet opening up. You'll know it when it happens. Then, consume it within a year or so. Kit wine was made to be enjoyed, not to gather dust.

 

[ibglowin]

Every single one of my Cellar Craft Showcase kits made to date are drinking awesome out to the 3 year mark now. No way they were peaked at 18mo. Heck they were just starting to be drinkable at that mark IMHO.

 

[TonyP]

Here's the skinny on kit aging. The technical answer to your question is

a) it depends and
b) there are exceptions.

Here's some parameters:

Ultra-premium kits - Reds 3-4 years, Whites 2-3 years.
Premium kits - Reds 2-3 years, Whites 1-2 years.

Now, that assumes at least very good cellar conditions. Where it really gets tricky is when you adjust the aging down for less favorable conditions. For example, wine should be stored at 50-55 degrees, but up to 59 degrees is OK. If you store your wine above those temperatures, you'll have to take the aging time down a bit. Over 70 degrees, it could become problematic.

Aging considerations apply to light and vibration, as well. Both should be avoided.

I hope this helps.

Tony P.

 

[JOESILVA401]

That's awesome insight! My wine is aged year round at 60-63 degrees and dark. How do you define "ultra" premium compared to "premium"? And lastly, I just invested in a gas getter- winegasgetter.com, and the inventor told me that by using his device- u can cut aging time down to under a year! Would you find this to be accurate or even reasonable? The use of a 2HP compressor has the ability to fully remove CO2 unlike a drill or spoon thus he suggests earlier drinkability. Thoughts?

Thanks!

JS

 

[TonyP]

That's awesome insight! My wine is aged year round at 60-63 degrees and dark. How do you define "ultra" premium compared to "premium"? And lastly, I just invested in a gas getter- winegasgetter.com, and the inventor told me that by using his device- u can cut aging time down to under a year! Would you find this to be accurate or even reasonable? The use of a 2HP compressor has the ability to fully remove CO2 unlike a drill or spoon thus he suggests earlier drinkability. Thoughts?

Thanks!

JS

I may get some difference of agreement around the edges of what I'm saying, but here's my view. Premium kits are usually 15 litres and ultra-premium are 16-18 litres. In the reds, ultra-premium kits have grape skins and premium skins don't. (Specialty kits are usually premium.) When you look at a kit maker's website or catalog, the categories are usually identified.

Your question on the degassing device sounds to me like what you were told was incorrect. Anyone who could cut wine aging time should be selling his device in Napa and Sonoma.

Aging involves chemical reactions (changes) over time. As the wine ages it goes through a process and evolves. Patience is the secret to aging wine and it's been that way for 5,000 years.

That's not to say mechanical degassing isn't good, because it is. The advantage, though is over manual degassing or using a stirrer on a drill.

Tony P.