WineXpert Nero D'Avola

[Rocky]

This past week I put on my Nero D'Avola from WineExpert and it really looks great. Started out with SG 1.092 and yesterday when I racked from the primary it was down to 0.998 and it is still cooking slowly in the carboy. Color is magnificent, very dark. Nero D'Avola means "Black of Avola" which is a city on Sicily's east coast just south of Siracusa. I got this kit on a "special" for $109 (I have seen it regularly from $139 to $159). Always looking for a good deal.

 

[Giovannino]

I ordered and started mine last week and really looking forward to see how this turns-out.

Thanks for starting this thread.

 

[Rocky]

Giovannino, it is really looking good at this point. I have it in a 6 gallon carboy right next to two carboys of Zinfandel and I can't believe how dark it is compared to the Zin. You are really going to like this. May I ask where you bought yours and how much you paid? Just curious because this series of 4 varietals was intoduced at $159.95 here in the Stats but I have seen prices that vary quite a bit and few at full retail.

 

[Giovannino]

No problem, I paid $107CDN at my local WineXpert.

Yeah, I read somewhere that it is a much darker red.

 

[Rocky]

That is a great price, Giovannino. Good for you.

I tasted the Nero D'Avola yesterday. It is very dry and will be a great wine.

 

[Giovannino]

It is very dry and will be a great wine

I so hope so 'cause I'm crazy about dry red. Actually, as soon as I saw Sicilian and Avola that's what I thought of.

Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[diggerdan17]

I just got home with this kit and was curious as to how you guys have been making out.

From what I read about this line of wines from Winexpert is that they taste good at 6 months and get really good at a year.

I can't wait to get this in the primary!!

Digger

 

[Rocky]

Digger, I have had mine in bulk aging since mid November. It looks great (clear and very dark) and the last time I tasted it, it was great. I think you will be very pleased with this kit.

 

[tonyportale]

Hello,
I just picked mine up over the weekend. This will be my first kit with the skins. Did you have any problems with the skin pack.
Thx,
Tony

 

[robie]

Sounds like you guys are going to be very happy (wine-drinking) campers with this wine.

Almost 2 years ago I made a MM Meglioli Barolo that was the darkest wine I have ever made. This one you are making sounds as dark.

I will run the Barolo through my neutral barrel for about six months before I consider it ready to drink. Looking forward to it!!!

I really like the Italian wines. I just read the other day that Italian wines tend to be higher acid because they are mostly designed to be paired with food, rather than being drank alone. (They are all pretty good alone, too.) Higher acid for pairing does make sense.

I have made an Amarone, Brunello, and Barolo.

 

[robie]

Hello,
I just picked mine up over the weekend. This will be my first kit with the skins. Did you have any problems with the skin pack.
Thx,
Tony

Tony,
I would sure put those skins and the oak in a paint straining bag, so they won't stop up your siphon later on. Even though it won't fill the bag, I would use the larger, five-gallon bag, which will allow for more absorption.

 

[Rocky]

Tony, I highly recommend using the straining bag that comes with the kit. I have a large SS stew pot that I use by stretching the top of the bag around the rim and secure it with a rubber band (both the bag and band should be sanitized with k-meta) and then I pour/scrape the skins into the bag. Tie the bag up tight and add it to the wine and add any juice that is caught in the pot. I also made a point of squeezing the bag at leat two times daily to get all the flavor that I can. Works great for me. Good luck.

 

[Giovannino]

Maybe next year I'll do the Brunello.

 

[Rocky]

I bottled my Nero d'Avola today and got 31 bottles plus my "QA sample" which was wonderful. The wine is clearly young and I plan to hide it from myself for at least a year. Very nice, dry taste, beautiful color. I had better find a really good hiding place.

 

[tonyt]

I bottled the WE Nero W/skins yesterday. Taste is very good, fruit forward. No KT like so many young WE kits have. I added extra oak and am very glad, might have been a bit flat without.
Anyone else with tweaks or tasting notes?

 

[eblasmn9]

Thanks for the update Tony. The WE Nero D'avola and MM Rosso D'avola are on my
lengthy wish list. I think you have done both. It would be great if you could compare the two when they are ready.

 

[tonyportale]

Hello,
I'm getting ready to bottle mine this week. It has been bulk aging for the last 3 months in a glass carboy at about 50 deg.
I'm going to do a little experiment with 1/2 of the bottles. I'm going to add one or two drops of Glycerin per bottle. I want to see how the bottles compare to each other in about 9 months.
I just picked up a CC Cab. Sauvg. w/ skins kit this week. That is next on the hit list.
Salute
Tony P.

 

[tonyt]

Thanks for the update Tony. The WE Nero D'avola and MM Rosso D'avola are on my
lengthy wish list. I think you have done both. It would be great if you could compare the two when they are ready.

Yes, I have done both. The fact that Mosti calls theirs Rosso D'avola suggests to me that it is more than 25% something other than Nero D'avola, so it might not be completely fair. But yes, I will put aside a split of each and compare next spring.

 

[eblasmn9]

Thanks Tony. I wasn't aware there could be other varietals in the Rosso D'avola? Any idea what they might be?

 

[tonyt]

Hello,
I'm going to add one or two drops of Glycerin per bottle. I want to see how the bottles compare to each other in about 9 months.
Tony P.

T, you might be a little light on the glycerin at one or two drops per 750ml bottle. The suggested dose is 4 ounces per six gallons. Water runs about 500 drops per ounce and glycerin being thicker yielding much larger drops might be more like 250 to 300 drops per ounce. So the suggested dose per bottle might be something like 30-40 drops per bottle. I would suggest doing a bench test of 10, 20, 30 and 40 drops per bottle taste. Pick the ratio you like and do the remaining bottles to that ratio. Label the 10, 20, 30, 40 drop bottles and taste again in several months. Actually I would do splits so I could open all four 375's at one time to make a 6 month judgement, it's kind of hard for my wife and I to drink 4 bottles in one night even in the spirit of scientific research.