What's in your glass tonight?

[Hazelemere]

A banana taped to a wall is stupid.

Knock knock.....

Who is there?

Banana, banana

Knock knock.....

Who is there

Orange

Orange who?

Orange you glad I didn't say banana, banana

 

[jswordy]

2019 Argentinian Malbec... DNS!

 

[Hazelemere]

Black Iris Port with Creme de Cassis in a glass 2024 at about SG 1.008

finished or almost finished fermenting. I have 25 bottles. This is mostly wild cherries with a few blackberries and 1 lb dried elderberries fermented with EC-1118 yeast with nutrient. Here are my comments on this blend in a glass:

Appearance - inky purple

Smell - really good fruit bomb nose

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - the Cassis is dominant but not in a bad way. If you like port this is first class fruit port. I think I'll top it up with Greek Metaxa raisin brandy to get the alcohol up to 18+%. I may treat it with citric acid to drop the sweetness. Other than that, this should be excellent fruit port. Instead of using 1, I think I'll use 2 bottles of Metaxa on a 25 bottle carboy and then put it in my cooler. I'll retaste it after I add the Metaxa. I don't want to over-ride a beautiful wild cherry smell and taste with the dried elderberries. The blackberry dose is so low that it doesn't matter. I was going to add Drambuie but I think I'll go for Metaxa.

retaste and update:

I have a second bottle of Metaxa which is Greek raisin brandy that I've using to top up this wine every time that I rack a sample in a glass to taste it so it doesn't referment in the bottle having reached 18+% alcohol on EC-1118 yeast (I'm guessing that I am at 19+% alcohol right now). I have it on medium toast American oak cubes and will leave it alone until Easter and then bottle it i.e. 25 bottles.

Appearance - inky purple

Smell - good, intense smell of wild cherries and cassis (black currant liqueur) with a bit of elderberry in the background. I can smell the Greek raisin brandy now.

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - this is delicious fruit port. The sweetness level is perfect. I would absolutely make it again. The aftertaste is really good. I've made grape ports but I like this better. I only picked one wild cherry tree this year and have access to 3. In 2025 I'll try to pick all 3 alone or with one of my friends. That way I can make more of this or a second wine that uses more blackberries and possibly some raspberries along with the dried elderberries. Metaxa seemed to work well on this so I'll use it again together with French Creme de Cassis liqueur which is 16% alcohol.

 

[ibglowin]

Found this is the cellar. It was a Costco find from a few years ago. This was excellent and a perfect paring with last nights Green Chile' Cheeseburger!

 

[wineh]

A bit fruit forward for me, but good color and nice aftertaste. 2021, 14.5%

 

[ibglowin]

Austin Hope 2nd tier label. Usually pretty good QPR.

A bit fruit forward for me, but good color and nice aftertaste. 2021, 14.5%View attachment 118051

 

[Hazelemere]

retaste:

Apple Cyser 2023

appearance - clear, yellow gold

smell - good honey nose which lingers (unpasteurized blueberry blossom honey used to chaptalize homegrown russet juice)

tannin - good from honey and russets

acid - good

flavour - good, rich complex flavour with an aftertaste of apple skin tannins. I rate it as very good. This has an SG of 1.000 but doesn't taste sweet.

bottom line - these homegrown organic apple wines ground and pressed without water and chaptalized with cane sugar and/or unpasteurized honey e.g. blueberry, raspberry or cranberry make really good house wines within 6 to 12 months and sensational cooking wines. We run out of them really fast which is fine so our premium grape wines can age properly. I'm absolutely committed to making apple wine this year.

retaste:

Apple Cyser 2023

appearance - clear, yellow gold

smell - good honey nose which lingers (unpasteurized blueberry blossom honey used to chaptalize homegrown russet juice)

tannin - good from honey and russets

acid - good

flavour - good, rich complex flavour with an aftertaste of apple skin tannins. I rate it as very good. This has an SG of 1.000 but doesn't taste sweet.

bottom line - these homegrown organic apple wines ground and pressed without water and chaptalized with cane sugar and/or unpasteurized honey e.g. blueberry, raspberry or cranberry make really good house wines within 6 to 12 months and sensational cooking wines. We run out of them really fast which is fine so our premium grape wines can age properly. I'm absolutely committed to making apple wine this year. This is really good for making prawn linguine sauce by using it to keep onions from burning as they cook in oil so they can caramelize.

 

[ibglowin]

Perfect pairing with Thanksgiving turkey. DNS!

 

[Hazelemere]

Perfect pairing with Thanksgiving turkey. DNS!

View attachment 118134

Carneros Pinot Noir can be sensational. Looks like you got a good one.

 

[winemaker81]

Our younger son and his wife hosted Thanksgiving for our elder son, his girlfriend, Mrs. WM81, and myself.

Wednesday I gave my younger son his belated birthday present and early Christmas present:



If anyone likes peat, the Wee Beatie is great! If anyone doesn't like peat, the Wee Beastie is still great, but you won't like it.

Thanksgiving dinner was 2018 Metheglin, 2021 Riesling, and 2023 Vidal (no pictures). The Metheglin is holding strong, the Riesling (FWK) is at its peak, and the Vidal is very nice. After dinner my elder son brought out the last bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon I made for my younger son's wedding reception (WE Reserve kit). It's just starting to decline, which is good for a 4.5 yo kit that had no extras added to it. Still very good but it's good that it's the last bottle.



Yesterday we snacked and ate leftover turkey & stuff, broaching my elder son's Carmenere (WE Reserve kit), the second wine he made on his own. This one is holding very nicely, which is good as he has a case left. He's been rationing it.



The last wine in the group is our 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 80% CS, 10% CF, and 10% Merlot.




EDIT: There is an addition -- our 2022 Rhone blend, which is Grenache with Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Mourvedre. We have a LOT of this remaining, which is great as it came out great.

 

[Hazelemere]

Black Iris Port with Creme de Cassis in a glass 2024 at about SG 1.008

finished or almost finished fermenting. I have 25 bottles. This is mostly wild cherries with a few blackberries and 1 lb dried elderberries fermented with EC-1118 yeast with nutrient. Here are my comments on this blend in a glass:

Appearance - inky purple

Smell - really good fruit bomb nose

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - the Cassis is dominant but not in a bad way. If you like port this is first class fruit port. I think I'll top it up with Greek Metaxa raisin brandy to get the alcohol up to 18+%. I may treat it with citric acid to drop the sweetness. Other than that, this should be excellent fruit port. Instead of using 1, I think I'll use 2 bottles of Metaxa on a 25 bottle carboy and then put it in my cooler. I'll retaste it after I add the Metaxa. I don't want to over-ride a beautiful wild cherry smell and taste with the dried elderberries. The blackberry dose is so low that it doesn't matter. I was going to add Drambuie but I think I'll go for Metaxa.

retaste:

Appearance - inky purple

Smell - excellent complex nose. Gorgeous wild cherry and elderberry smell.

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - this is absolutely stunning, not because I made it and think I'm hot sh... It is the quality of the pitted wild frozen organic cherries, dried elderberries, a few wild organic blackberries, French Creme de Cassis black currant liqueur and Greek Metaxa brandy at SG 1.008 fermented with EC-1118. I've never made this before and can't believe how good it is. I score it 10 out of 10 i.e. IMHO a perfect wine. The medium toast American oak cubes took it to another level. I can't wait to make this again. Part of the best fun of winemaking is experimenting and having an experiment hit the jackpot. I used 1 bottle of Cassis and 2 bottles of Metaxa on a 25 bottle port carboy. 30 medium toast oak cubes soaked for about 45 days. I won't change a thing in this recipe when I make it again. I used 1 lb Bulgarian dried elderberries because I couldn't get Oregon dried elderberries and picked all of Iris' tree wild cherries (11.5 lbs pitted) with her husband Rick plus 2.5 lbs wild frozen blackberries to make this. My son in law tasted it and says that it is the best Port that he has ever tasted. My neighbours Kendall and Barbara also each have the same wild cherry tree which is a total blessing to me even though the wild black cherries are really small and a pain in the ass to pit. So the lesson for me is to remember "no pain...no gain".

Good luck to everyone on this site with their wines.

Namaste

Klaus

.

 

[jswordy]

Meh.

 

[Hazelemere]

Regent Pacific Black Iris 2023

This is a blend in a glass designed to drop the slight sweetness of Pacific Black Iris (Foch, Regent, Blackberries, Dried Elderberries and pitted Wild Cherries) with dry Regent, everything oaked with medium toast American oak. 2/3 Regent 1/3 Pacific Black Iris

Here are my tasting comments:

Appearance - clear, inky purple

Smell - good, clean nose. Hard to describe.

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - this is a decent, balanced house red. It has some tannin in the finish. It could kill as a cooking wine. If you grow red French American hybrids, including New York or Minnesota hybrids and/or Regent consider blending in blackberries with elderberries with or without wild cherries (if you can get them) fermented with RC212/71B with nutrient with or without medium toast American oak cubes and malolactic fermentation with cold tartrate stabilization to make a balanced, tasty house red for everyday drinking so you can save your best reds for special occasions. If you go that route don't blend the grape wine with the fruit wine until sulphiting after malolactic fermentation.

retaste from a bottle in my cooler:

Regent Pacific Black Iris 2023

2/3 Regent 1/3 Pacific Black Iris

Here are my tasting comments:

Appearance - clear, inky purple

Smell - good, clean nose. Wild cherries, blackberries, brownies, red and black currants

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - this is a decent, balanced house red. I rate it as "good", not very good or excellent but certainly "good" totally drinkable red wine. I will also use it as a cooking wine for French recipes that call for red wine. I'll continue to blend wild blackberries with dried elderberries and Regent or Marechal Foch with medium toast American oak cubes to make house red wines going forward. I'll ferment with RC212/71B blends. I may save all of the wild cherries for Port.

 

[ibglowin]

Many thanks to @Boatboy24 for reminding me I had one of these laying around in the Cellar! Definitely a 5 Star QPR wine for sure. Drinks well above its price point.

 

[Hazelemere]

Menagerie 2020-2021

Dineen Cabernet Sauvignon, Sheridan Syrah, Amador Cabernet Sauvignon, Dineen Cabernet Franc 2020 with Mettler Petite Sirah (74%) - Regent (homegrown) 26% 2021

I have 4 left. Here are my comments on this wine:

Appearance - purple ink

Smell - delicate, complex nose

Tannin - really good

Acid - slightly high but only very slightly which tells me that this wine (last 4 bottles) need to age e.g. (8 years! drink one every 2 years)

Flavour - this is intense, full on red wine. It tastes like it can only improve with age and needs to age. My tastebuds tell me that this has serious legs because of the good tannin and slightly high acid level. So I'll leave it alone for at least 2 years before I taste it again. If it lasts 8 years without starting to oxidize then it will be 11-12 years old. I'm tempted to not taste it again for another 4 years with something like prime rib, roast lamb or roast goose at a family dinner. This has the potential to be sensational when it peaks but right now I'd rate it young and very good.

24 hours later i.e. next day from the aerated bottle from yesterday:

Smell - more intense than yesterday - cocoa, chinese 5 spice, cola

Tannin - good

Acid - very slightly high but that is ok since the last 4 bottles will age

Flavour - this is really intense and tasty with a really good aftertaste. However it tastes like it could be even better i.e. excellent if it is allowed to age, I'm guessing 4 years. This wine tastes like it can handle 4 years of aging no-problemo. It is a shame to drink heavy duty red wines too young.........so I won't.reta

Menagerie 2020-2021

Dineen Cabernet Sauvignon, Sheridan Syrah, Amador Cabernet Sauvignon, Dineen Cabernet Franc 2020 with Mettler Petite Sirah (74%) - Regent (homegrown) 26% 2021

I have 4 left. Here are my comments on this wine:

Appearance - purple ink

Smell - delicate, complex nose

Tannin - really good

Acid - slightly high but only very slightly which tells me that this wine (last 4 bottles) need to age e.g. (8 years! drink one every 2 years)

Flavour - this is intense, full on red wine. It tastes like it can only improve with age and needs to age. My tastebuds tell me that this has serious legs because of the good tannin and slightly high acid level. So I'll leave it alone for at least 2 years before I taste it again. If it lasts 8 years without starting to oxidize then it will be 11-12 years old. I'm tempted to not taste it again for another 4 years with something like prime rib, roast lamb or roast goose at a family dinner. This has the potential to be sensational when it peaks but right now I'd rate it young and very good.

24 hours later i.e. next day from the aerated bottle from yesterday:

Smell - more intense than yesterday - cocoa, chinese 5 spice, cola

Tannin - good

Acid - very slightly high but that is ok since the last 4 bottles will age

Flavour - this is really intense and tasty with a really good aftertaste. However it tastes like it could be even better i.e. excellent if it is allowed to age, I'm guessing 4 years. This wine tastes like it can handle 4 years of aging no-problemo. It is a shame to drink heavy duty red wines too young.........so I won't.

retaste: Menagerie 2020-2021

Dineen Cabernet Sauvignon, Sheridan Syrah, Amador Cabernet Sauvignon, Dineen Cabernet Franc 2020 with Mettler Petite Sirah (74%) - Regent (homegrown) 26% 2021

I have 4 left. Here are my comments on this wine:

Appearance - purple ink

Smell - good, complex nose, hard to describe, smoked meat

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - this is intense, full on red wine. I have 2 left which I will try to let age and drink on special occasions over the next 3-5 years. This is at least very good with the potential to be excellent. So I'll try to keep my mitts out of it so it can become excellent or very good-excellent. It has a good long finish and enough acid + tannin to age. I get the tannin in the aftertaste with the acid which is a good sign. This is primo red IMHO. Petite Sirah especially ultra ripe Petite Sirah like Lodi Mettler Vineyard's is tailor made for Cabernet Franc and or Cabernet Sauvignon. The Petite Sirah in this wine was sky high brix but un-raisined, tasty and fragrant like Italian Amarone. If you like Amarone, grow French American hybrid grapes and can buy Lodi Petite Sirah, including Mettler, if you are lucky then make a Lodi-French hybrid blend. Any red hybrid can work with Lodi red wine grapes. Blending Lodi reds with hybrids gives you much better balance in the reds i.e. acid, brix, balance. My guess is Minnesota and New York red hybrids will work also but I'm guessing because I only grow Regent and Marechal Foch.

Have fun

Wild things

You all make my heart sing

Wild things

Klaus

 

[Hazelemere]

Many thanks to @Boatboy24 for reminding me I had one of these laying around in the Cellar! Definitely a 5 Star QPR wine for sure. Drinks well above its price point.

View attachment 118355


View attachment 118356

lucky you! It sounds like a really good GSM wine.

 

[ibglowin]

Another Costco find in the cellar. DNS! Paired perfectly with Birria tacos with all the normal accouterments......

 

[jswordy]

L'uva Bella Purple Rain concord. Meh.