Dan’s Cellar Notes July 2002

By Dan Mouer

From my Notebook, 1/23/02—7/1/02

This month I thought I would begin printing some examples from my actual cellar notebooks! I hope these provide helpful; insights into how I approach winemaking.

Brew King Selection Estate Seri3es Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel

Begin: 1/23/2002

This is a 16-liter “premium” kit that makes 23 liters of wine.

--Diluted concentrate to 23 l with filtered tap water into open plastic fermenter, with aeration.

Original Gravity=1.090, or about potentially 12% alcohol .

Did not test TA, which seems ample or moderate, based on taste…typical Central Valley must, I suppose.

--Added 1 tbsp grape tannin and 4 tsp yeast nutrient.

--Pitched Pasteur Red (Red Star) yeast, rather than the Premier Cuvee supplied with the kit. Hope the Pasteur Red will yield better aroma and fuller body.

1/27/02 Add 2- 30-oz. Packets of medium toasted oak powder supplied with kit. Added to primary fermenter, which is now very active.

2/4/02 Activity has slowed considerably. Wine is nearly dry (S.G.= 1.006). Racked off oak to 6-gallon carboy. Topped up with commercial Calif. Central valley merlot.

2/9/02 S.G. = 1.001. Still full of yeast, but distinct fruit and roundness apparent. Oak not yet obvious at this stage.

3/10/02 The wine is clearing nicely. This is huge, inky-red, with full velvety mouth-feel, closed-in berry flavors and aromas. Wood is noticed in somewhat bitter or astringent twinge in otherwise long, smooth finish.

3/17/02 This might benefit from more oak…perhaps a dark-toasted French oak to give it a bit more earthy touch. This could become really fine wine. I blended a bit with this year’s California Cabernet just as a test. The cab was improved, but blending might be a waste of fine Zin. Zinfandel just doesn’t seem to relish blending.

3/25/02 Wood is now obvious—even prominent. Aroma is very heady! Wonderful! Flavor is deep berry, complex, full of fruit and wood, deep-dark raspberry tones. Very nice. This is very good wine!!!

5/7/02 Racked with ¼ tsp metabisulfite. Wine is very clear now, but also very dark, inky, almost opaque. Aroma is a bit immature, yeasty-estery, but not at all bad! Flavor is potent, alcoholic, complex, a bit brutish—needs some age and mellowing, but has great potential.

7/1/02 Appearance: still inky dark, but not cloudy. A light shone through the glass indicates solids or slight haze in suspension. I should probably fine this soon. Aroma remains a bit closed in. There is a slight bit of oxidation—or maybe just leathery-woodiness—up front. The flavor is full, with lots of fruit, intense, somewhat tannic. With time and a little swirling, the aroma is opening up: intense berry-vinous aroma. Nice! The finish is long, full of fruit and a hot alcohol flash. Tannin burrs the tongue slightly. This is good wine. If the slightly funky aroma can be controlled, it could be great wine!

Comments? Questions? Write me at dan.mouer@verizon.net