Yeast for Cab Franc

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VJI324

Junior
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I'm looking for a recommendation for a yeast to use with Cab Franc. I have used Red Star Premier Rouge with Cab Sauv with good results. Any experience with Cab Franc?
 
Download the Morewine yeast pairing guide. Lots of nice options for each varietal.

https://morewinemaking.com/web_files/intranet.morebeer.com/files/wyeastpair.pdf

REDS (Vinifera)

Cabernet Franc

  • MT: Ability to enhance varietal fruit and oral aromas. In Cab Franc MT emphasizes berry, along with straw- berry jam, caramel, and some spice notes. Good colour stability along with enhanced tannic structure and rich mouthfeel. Great by itself or as part of a blend.

  • BDX: Good all-around choice for berry, plum, and jam in the Classic Bordeaux pro le. Moderate rate fermenter with good colour retention. Useful for developing struc- ture in the wine by re-enforcing existing tannins- both good and bad, so don’t use with un-ripe fruit.

  • BM45: Big mouthfeel, strong plum along with notes of cherry liquor, rose petal, jam, and some berry. Classi- cally Italian in style. Good colour stability and helps to minimize vegetative characters.

  • ICV-D21: Fresh berry fruit along with big mouthfeel and positive tannic structure. Maintains good acidity and inhibits herbaceous characters from developing. Usefulfor hot climate fruit (high pH) and in blends for main- taining a lively freshness.
    • ICV-D254: Big mouthfeel and rounding of tannins. In- tense fruit: more dried thanfresh with a focus on plum. Helps with colour stability and is useful for adding body to blends.

    • ICV-D80: Big volume and ne grain tannin, with plum and spice in Cabernet Franc. Great for bringing more positive tannin intensity to a blend.

    • ICV-GRE: Brings fresh, berry fruit foreword along with good mouthfeel. Useful for adding fresh fruit to a blend. Effective for reducing herbaceous and vegetal notes in under-ripe fruit.

    • RC212: Contributes to structure, with ripe berry, bright fruit and spice. Good colour stability and great for add- ing complex fruit to a blend.

    • RP15 (VQ15): Useful for adding spice and colour sta- bility to a blend.
 
I used ICV-GRE on some local Cab Franc grapes I got locally here. Like the results flavor wise (definite berry component), just not the darkest wine I've ever made (closer to a rosé). I don't think the grapes were very ripe when he picked them.
 
I'm more of a Scotts fan then Red Star. Just finished a Cab Franc using D 254, RC 212 and BM 4X4. It is very nice combined immediately after pressing. Was considering CLOS and would have used BDX but it didn't arrive in time. Good luck with it.
you use all three for ferment? I may consider doing that as well. Thanks
 
you use all three for ferment? I may consider doing that as well. Thanks
Yes, most of my wines are fermented in 3 different fermenters with different yeasts but it depends on how much you are making. It's a lot more work but I feel it adds complexity to the wine. I sometimes have 12-15 ten gallon fermenters going at once.
 
Yes, most of my wines are fermented in 3 different fermenters with different yeasts but it depends on how much you are making. It's a lot more work but I feel it adds complexity to the wine. I sometimes have 12-15 ten gallon fermenters going at once.
wow. 12-15 ten gallon fermenters going at once? I'm lucky to be doing 1-2 6 gallon fermentors each month at once. I thought you were adding three yeasts into one fermenter, but that makes so much more sense. That is a great idea to work that way.
once you are done fermenting are you combining the three together for bulk aging, or are they aged separately then blended?
 
I’ve used Wyeast 4267, D254, and BM45, 2g of each from a Chilean juice bucket. It’s only a few months old but tastes pretty good. I’m becoming a big fan of multiple yeasts, maybe not 3 but at least 2.

I am also becoming a fan of using two yeasts on my reds. BM4x4, RC212 and Avante are my three preferred
 

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