Other Red Wine kit Recommendation

[David219]

If you could recommend only ONE red wine kit to someone, what would it be? I know that tastes vary, but what has been your favorite red kit wine that you would say that someone just HAS to make at some point in their wine making "career"?

I would ask two stipulations. First, the kit must be widely available year-round. And second, while the kit might benefit from certain tweaks, it can be made per instructions and yield an outstanding result without requiring tweaks to make it so.

 

[tbayav8er]

I've only made 11 kits, but I've got to say the WE Selection Chilean Malbec exceeded my expectations. The WE Selection Spanish Tempranillo w grapeskins is even better, but they don't make it anymore

 

[jgmann67]

Given the rave reviews (mine included), I would say the WE Eclipse Stags Leap Merlot. The kit is probably the most complete of any - with lots of oak and a monster grape pack.

My personal feeling: I want to make wine that, when you drink it, you can't help but say, "Wow, that's really good." (and not "Wow, that's really good for a kit." - that's like saying I look really good for my age).

I've only bottled 5 kits, with another 2 in process (one RJS, one WE Island Mist, two WE Selections, two WE Eclipse, and one WE LE14). I'm going to work my way through the Eclipse reds and the LE's to see if I like any one of them more than the other... And, start making wine fresh from grapes and juice.

The problem is that this experiment in taste will take a couple years until I can say with any certainty what I like best. It's a good problem, granted.

 

[Brian55]

If you can only make one, I'd choose any red from WE Eclipse (minus the pinot), CC Showcase, or RJ's WS/EP. I would base my final decision on two things; finding one of my favorite varietals, and whether or not it's available from one of my favorite retailers.

 

[heatherd]

Italian super Tuscan is the best kit I have made so far.

 

[Brian55]

Italian super Tuscan is the best kit I have made so far.

I find it difficult to nail down a "best" as they're constantly changing with age, but I'm assuming you're referring to RJ's W.S. Super Tuscan, in which case I'd definitely rate it among one of the best.

 

[heatherd]

I find it difficult to nail down a "best" as they're constantly changing with age, but I'm assuming you're referring to RJ's W.S. Super Tuscan, in which case I'd definitely rate it among one of the best.

Correct Brian, it is the Winery Series. That's the first wine that had a really good oak and tannin balance pretty much right away, and has just gotten better with age. Didn't tweak it because I was pretty new to winemaking at the time.

 

[Brian55]

That's the first wine that had a really good oak and tannin balance pretty much right away, and has just gotten better with age.

Agreed, it was already nicely balanced at bottling. Currently it's only 13 months old. Can't wait to try it again with a bit more time on it.

 

[heatherd]

Agreed, it was already nicely balanced at bottling. Currently it's only 13 months old. Can't wait to try it again with a bit more time on it.

That has inspired me to hunt for a bottle of super Tuscan in my winecellar....

 

[Brian55]

That has inspired me to hunt for a bottle of super Tuscan in my winecellar....

I know exactly where to find it in my collection, which makes it very difficult to avoid. I might have to break down and open one this evening.

 

[tgatesp]

I just started my 2nd super tuscan yesterday, only 3 bottles left of the first batch which is 3 years old now. That is my favorite kit so far. Also just bottled stags leap merlot yesterday, bulk aged for 1 year can't wait to try it in a month or so.

 

[GaDawg]

If you can only make one, I'd choose any red from WE Eclipse (minus the pinot), .

Just curious, why you dissin on the pinot?

 

[Brian55]

Just curious, why you dissin on the pinot?

Have you made it? It's not bad, it's just not on the same level as the rest of the Eclipse line. I think their LE Oregon pinot was a better example of pinot noir. Still waiting on the results of our RJ's EP and WS pinots which are still bulk aging.

 

[ColemanM]

Hey, David. Have you figured out if you can taste the "kit" taste in kit wines? I can't get past it without adding pressed fresh grape skins. Unfortunately I can't help you out with the no tweak method besides stating that the CCraft amarone had the best mouth feel of any wine I have made, and the WE Argentinian Malbec had the nearest to varietal taste I have gotten so far. I have done about 20 kits with about 8 tweaking with extra skins. Still can tell the difference. Good luck.

 

[David219]

No. I'm not sure if I can identify KT, but I know that I prefer my own wines to inexpensive to moderately priced commercial wine...to me, these wines all have a taste that I liken to cough syrup. So, maybe I like kit taste!

I started this thread because I had planned to re-make the CC Red Mountain Cab this year, and now it isn't available any more. That would have been the kit I would have recommended...but now I don't know. The WE Eclipse Barolo and WE SI Amarone are two other favorites for me. Lately, I've been doing a lot of WE LE kits, so they aren't available to make again.

The CC Showcase Amarone is on my very short list, as is the CC Walla Walla Cab/Merlot. I've been substituting yeast as the main tweak in my kits of late. And aging in a 23L barrel.

Ive not made a Malbec yet... I've made around 30 kits in almost 6 years of winemaking, all WE kits outside of the Red Mtn Cab.

It's interesting that you mentioned these two kits. What tweaks did you do?

 

[ColemanM]

Surprisingly none. I would change the yeast for bm4x4 and add tannins in the secondary. Maybe raisins in the amarone and blackberries in the Malbec?

 

[ceeaton]

Hey, David. Have you figured out if you can taste the "kit" taste in kit wines? I can't get past it without adding pressed fresh grape skins.

Maybe that is why I'm having issues tasting "kit taste". I've been adding skins to all of my red wines, figuring it might add some nose that may be lacking in the kits. It does add to the time one must age a wine, but that isn't an issue once your inventory is built up.

 

[Brian55]

No. I'm not sure if I can identify KT, but I know that I prefer my own wines to inexpensive to moderately priced commercial wine...to me, these wines all have a taste that I liken to cough syrup. So, maybe I like kit taste!

I started this thread because I had planned to re-make the CC Red Mountain Cab this year, and now it isn't available any more. That would have been the kit I would have recommended...but now I don't know. The WE Eclipse Barolo and WE SI Amarone are two other favorites for me. Lately, I've been doing a lot of WE LE kits, so they aren't available to make again.

The CC Showcase Amarone is on my very short list, as is the CC Walla Walla Cab/Merlot. I've been substituting yeast as the main tweak in my kits of late. And aging in a 23L barrel.

Ive not made a Malbec yet... I've made around 30 kits in almost 6 years of winemaking, all WE kits outside of the Red Mtn Cab.

It's interesting that you mentioned these two kits. What tweaks did you do?

I agree 100% with your assessment of lower priced commercial wines. Since we started home brewing (and most importantly getting it right with proper aging) the cheaper commercial wines all seem to have the same cough syrup thing going on, whereas the better commercial wines still taste just as good as they did prior to brewing our own. I guess it just goes to show how bad we were slumming it with the cheap commercial wines prior to creating something considerably more palatable, yet within the same price range...

 

[jsiddall]

Maybe that is why I'm having issues tasting "kit taste". I've been adding skins to all of my red wines, figuring it might add some nose that may be lacking in the kits. It does add to the time one must age a wine, but that isn't an issue once your inventory is built up.

Interesting, IMO adding skins actually reduces the aging required for a kit. I find the KT far worse than the taste of young wine from grapes.

 

[ceeaton]

Interesting, IMO adding skins actually reduces the aging required for a kit. I find the KT far worse than the taste of young wine from grapes.

The added time aging isn't for taste, it is for the sediment which seems to drop out over a longer period of time when I add the skins.