spaniel
Senior Member
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2012
- Messages
- 370
- Reaction score
- 53
As a biologist, I have a penchant for running experiments whenever possible.
On my 2012 vintage, I tested free run versus pressed using a single yeast (Cotes des Blancs). My determination was that the free run was superior in every way. Slightly back-sweetened, this wine won a bronze in the Indy International Wine Competition.
For 2013, I elected to test yeasts. I got a bumper crop, so I was able to get three 5-6gal carboys of uniform origin. I started 71B, D47, and Cotes des Blancs. Fermentation was carried out in a refrigerator at 55-60F over a number of weeks. The starting material was as unform as possible given my equipment. After fermentation, each batch was back-sweetened as taste buds considered appropriate. Both 71B and Cotes des Blancs fermented dry and required slight back-sweetening. The D47 did not ferment dry, and essentially stopped at the same sugar level to which the other two were back-sweetened. So it was slightly lower in alcohol.
My taste testers unanimously picked the D47 as the superior batch. This batch was entered in the Indy competition, and received a silver medal with marks on the high end of the silver range.
Unfortunately I did not get the chance to build on this knowledge in 2014 as the hard winter killed my vines down to ground level and 2014 was spent growing them back up from the root. I have high hopes for 2015, but am unsure what variable to test next? I did have a neighbor save a bottle of the batch I made dry in 2011 and open it 3 years later...it was SO much better than when I bottled it, which is why I have been back-sweetening. Thinking of trying a dry batch again with Cotes des Blancs as well as a run with D47.
On my 2012 vintage, I tested free run versus pressed using a single yeast (Cotes des Blancs). My determination was that the free run was superior in every way. Slightly back-sweetened, this wine won a bronze in the Indy International Wine Competition.
For 2013, I elected to test yeasts. I got a bumper crop, so I was able to get three 5-6gal carboys of uniform origin. I started 71B, D47, and Cotes des Blancs. Fermentation was carried out in a refrigerator at 55-60F over a number of weeks. The starting material was as unform as possible given my equipment. After fermentation, each batch was back-sweetened as taste buds considered appropriate. Both 71B and Cotes des Blancs fermented dry and required slight back-sweetening. The D47 did not ferment dry, and essentially stopped at the same sugar level to which the other two were back-sweetened. So it was slightly lower in alcohol.
My taste testers unanimously picked the D47 as the superior batch. This batch was entered in the Indy competition, and received a silver medal with marks on the high end of the silver range.
Unfortunately I did not get the chance to build on this knowledge in 2014 as the hard winter killed my vines down to ground level and 2014 was spent growing them back up from the root. I have high hopes for 2015, but am unsure what variable to test next? I did have a neighbor save a bottle of the batch I made dry in 2011 and open it 3 years later...it was SO much better than when I bottled it, which is why I have been back-sweetening. Thinking of trying a dry batch again with Cotes des Blancs as well as a run with D47.
