Mosti Mondiale I have to issue a retraction!

[Rocky]

A while back I posted a major panning of the Mosti Modiale Renaissance line, specifically the Amarone and the Barolo.
We just cracked a bottle of the Barolo yesterday and one today and I have to say IT DOES NOT SUCK! As a matter of fact, I think this could turn into a very nice wine. I have not tried the Amarone yet but the Barolo is coming along very nicely.

Here are my notes from the two batches:

Mosti Mondiale Renaissance Amarone with raisins and grape skins.
Started on 2-3-12 with SG 1.110 (I used both the raisins and the skins)
2-8-12 SG 1.030
2-13-12 SG 0.994 racked, stablized and cleared and moved to bulk aging
6-28-12 Filtered with 5 micron filter
9-11-12 Bottled

Mosti Mondiale Renaissance Barolo with raisins and grape skins.
Started on 2-3-12 with SG 1.110 (I used both the raisins and the skins)
2-8-12 SG 1.033
2-13-12 SG 0.994 racked, stablized and cleared and moved to bulk aging
6-28-12 Filtered with 5 micron filter
9-17-12 Bottled

So, for the second time in my life I was wrong. (There was this other time when I thought I was wrong but I was really right.)

 

[derunner]

Thanks Rocky for posting your notes. I was wondering when to filter a wine before bottling. So I expect once the wine is clear you filtered and then let it age 2 months to bottle.

Do you have any other notes on when you racked or added k-meta? Thanks, Pat

 

[Bacci]

I made the Amarone from the MM Ren. Impressions line and didn't find it to be that good during bulk aging and bottling time at 7 months. Too much oak and very thin for an Amarone. I've actually had good commerical amarone and didn't find it to be near the color or body and taste. I'm hoping in the bottle for a year will work it's magic (haven't tried one yet). This was the kit that they added the 8 lbs. grapepack (merlot) with the Renaissance line that comes with raisins (added both as well).

 

[Rocky]

Hi Pat, yes I do. I added 1/4 teaspoon of k-meta on 2-13-12 in both cases to the Amarone and Barolo and 1/8 teaspoon at bottling on 9-11-12 and 9-17-12, respectively. As far as racking is concerned, I racked the wine out of the primary fermenter on 2-10-12 into carboys. I have spigots on my fermenters and all of the skins and raisins were in bags. On 2-13-12 I racked, added k-meta and fining agents to the carboys. The wines sat until 6-28-12 when I racked, then filtered them. They then sat in carboys until mid-September when I bottled them. I ended up with 5 gallons of Amarone, 5 gallons of Barolo and 3 gallons of "Barone" (my name for a 50-50 blend of the two wines) which I blended from 1.5 gallons of each wine. Incidentally, the "Barone" is a really nice wine. Looking at my records, I bottled the Amarone and Barone on 9-11 and the Barolo on 9-17. I don't remember why I split the bottling of the three wines, probably laziness.

 

[derunner]

Thanks Rocky. I was trying to figure out how often to rack and it seems if I rack after clearing, there is probably not a reason to rack again until I filter / rack.

 

[saddlebronze]

Does not Suck is high praise, although not as high as "definitely does not suck".

 

[tonyt]

Rocky I issued my Mosti Meglioli retraction a few months ago. Search my posts they are back there somewhere. At two years they really shine. Its just that they are so expensive to kinda s*ck for the first 12 to16 months.

 

[Wade E]

I gotta say you were way early on talking bad about a big red!!! LOL

 

[RegionRat]

Hi Pat, yes I do. I added 1/4 teaspoon of k-meta on 2-13-12 in both cases to the Amarone and Barolo and 1/8 teaspoon at bottling on 9-11-12 and 9-17-12, respectively. As far as racking is concerned, I racked the wine out of the primary fermenter on 2-10-12 into carboys. I have spigots on my fermenters and all of the skins and raisins were in bags. On 2-13-12 I racked, added k-meta and fining agents to the carboys. The wines sat until 6-28-12 when I racked, then filtered them. They then sat in carboys until mid-September when I bottled them. I ended up with 5 gallons of Amarone, 5 gallons of Barolo and 3 gallons of "Barone" (my name for a 50-50 blend of the two wines) which I blended from 1.5 gallons of each wine. Incidentally, the "Barone" is a really nice wine. Looking at my records, I bottled the Amarone and Barone on 9-11 and the Barolo on 9-17. I don't remember why I split the bottling of the three wines, probably laziness.

Thanks for sharing your time line. I have been trying to figure out one for my self. Kinda "cookie cutter" approach. I have a few questions;

1) When you rack from primary to secondary 0n 2-13 that was because of SG I got that. Did you degas?
2) I guess what I am asking is, is it is okay for the wine to sit on that much lee. I have been degassing, adding k-meta, clearing agent and waiting a few weeks then racking again to bulk age. Are you saying I am doing an unneeded step?

RR

 

[Rocky]

RR, sorry, when I said "racked, stabilized and cleared" de-gassing was in there too. The order that I did them in was racked, de-gassed, stabilized and cleared (i.e. adding fining agents). Sorry for the confusion.

 

[RegionRat]

RR, sorry, when I said "racked, stabilized and cleared" de-gassing was in there too. The order that I did them in was racked, de-gassed, stabilized and cleared (i.e. adding fining agents). Sorry for the confusion.

Rocky,

Thanks for clarifying, no pun.

Some times my head spins with all the things I have read in the last few months. There are soooo many opinions on the procedures and at what time to do them. I am trying to sort through them the best I can and then stick to one "time-line-method."

RR

 

[Bartman]

I made the Renaissance Impressions Merlot a little earlier than you started and bottled around the end of August. Good flavor, color and bouquet, but I was a little underwhelmed by the body of this Merlot - I had expected a fairly chewy final product, but perhaps that was unfair. It is still obviously a kit wine, but I am not sure the extra $15 or so for the "impressions" grape pack was worth it. I still have a dozen or more bottles so I will see if it improves in the bottle much.

 

[roger80465]

I made the Renaissance Amarone with raisins for this year. It was bottled in November, 2011 and is intended for this Christmas. It is tasty, however not a great deal of body. I was concerned about excessive oak early on in the process but that seems to have balanced out. I was trying to mimic the RJS Cru Select Platinum Amarone I made several years ago that was declared as 'the best wine I have ever had' by several friends. RJS no longer includes raisins with that product so I hoped this would be a reasonable replacement. So far, so good. Seems very similar. The flavors have a sharpness that I remember from the Cru Select and also a commercial Amarone I tried for comparison.

This year, I made the Renaissance Impressions version and used the grape pack rather than the raisins. Has more body at this point (2 months) but not as much as the CC Showcase Amarone. I think Showcase will be my Amarone of choice from now on, unless someone convinces me otherwise. Not unhappy with Renaissance Impressions, just feel there are better kits.

 

[Wade E]

The RJS Winery Series and or EP Amarone is awesome. I myself thought the EP is way better then the Cellar Craft.

 

[eblasmn9]

I made the Renaissance Amarone in June of 2011. When it was young it was green apple tart. At 18 months, it is better but remains somewhat tart. I read somewhere that this kit becomes really good at 2 years old. I am holding out hope that in 6 months it will be something I will enjoy.

 

[ibglowin]

I opened my next to last bottle of MM AJ Amarone last night. This was my 3rd kit ever made and It is now just over 3 years old! It was in short AMAZING. I opened them all back up well over a year ago (~18mo) and added some TanCor and re-corked. Don't give up on them. They will just keep getting better and better with age.

Only (1) bottle left now.....

 

[tonyt]

Rocky,
I am trying to sort through them the best I can and then stick to one "time-line-method."
RR

IMO that's great in theory but I have never been able to stick to a time-line-method. I like to aim for Tim V.'s 5-20-40-90 day schedule, but since I usually do my winemaking on weekends it us more like 1-2-3-20 weeks. a week in primary, two in secondary, three clearing and 20 aging. Do I stick to it? Heck no! Sometimes primary takes two weeks and sometimes I'm out of twon visiting grandkids on weekend three. Twice I had to clear a second time (Mosti kits argh). Sometimes I need a carboy and bottle early. BUT I do have a plan, I just don't often stick to it. And after 25 kits I have learned little but that EVERY batch is different. Go with the flow!

 

[uavwmn]

I gotta say you were way early on talking bad about a big red!!! LOL

Wade, I totally agree!! lol