Hard Tannins & Racking off Seeds During Ferment

Darin, It couldn't hurt to remove the seeds, especially if they may be cracked. They fall pretty quickly once the cap is broken up a few times.

If you want to soften those tannins you can try egg whites or gelatin. Time will help, there is no rush as i see it.

Joe

Dar> After 11 months in stainless steel tanks, our first vintage of merlot

It sounds to me like this wine doesn't have sufficient fruit to stand up to a new barrel. I recommend that you save that new barrel for a wine that is more worthy of it. Furthermore, when that occasion arises, you should get the wine into that barrel within a day or so of pressing, after settling out most of the heavy lees.

Back to the present case: If you find the tannins in this wine to be objectionably high after a full year's tank aging, I'd recommend that you age the wine for another year or more in a _used_ barrel - say 2 or 3 years old. Even after that, the wine might require fining to remove some of the harsh tannins and expose the fruit.

Remember, even though barrel aging will tend to soften the wine by slow exposure to oxygen, the wine will still pick up tannin from the barrel itself. I recommend against aging this wine in a new barrel because (1) oak is _not_ a substitute for fruit, and (2) an older barrel will soften the wine without adding too much tannin.

As usual, you have to keep an eye on the wine to monitor its progress. That means weekly barrel tastings and toppings, plus sulfite adjustments as necessary.

Tom S

Tom & Joe - thanks for your help and insights. Darin