Sangiovese grape not good this year??

I make wine with two different groups. Both groups are making sagiovese this year. Both batches of sagiovese grapes are very week. I hope I can explain it. Sugar was low in one group. about 20.5. the other group, sugar was ok 22. In both groups, the grape (taste) was light, not very flavorful. During the primary, the skins are pink / pale. Not dark red. The juice is light almost rose, and does not have a very good taste. Very little fruit taste. Grapes came from two different distributors. What could be causing this.

All the others look and smell fantastic. (Cab, Gammy, Zin, & Merlot)

Any ideas? Anyone else doing sangiovese?

Reply to
NotReallyMe
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I got a few lugs of Central Valley Sangiovese this Saturday. The sugar was very low too: 20 Brix. The bottom half of each lug had grapes w/o stems, and there weren't any stray stems. About 20% of the grapes had a green tint, and there were plenty of immature, tiny green grapes. Overall, a crappy year for Central Valley Sangiovese.

-David Denver, CO USA

Reply to
David D.

....Glad I passed them by and went Zin And Cab sauv.......day 7 of the primary ferment and it looks really good for color so far.

Reply to
andyjone

There are at least two problems: (1) The fruit was overcropped, (2) They picked too early.

Some clones of Sangiovese bear really heavily. If the crop isn't thinned earlier in the season, the fruit will become crowded by adjacent clusters. Where the clusters touch each other they will never develop color; they will remain green - even when they're ripe.

Sangiovese doesn't ripen too early in normal years. That could account for the low Brix, but it's also possible that your grower has been watering recently. That will also set the Brix back. Overcropping may have a similar effect.

Leaf pulling (or the lack of it) may also be a contributing factor, since some varietals really like lots of sun on the berries.

If I had to guess, I'd say that your grower is rather unenlightened about how to grow the best fruit, and since he sells by the pound he's shooting for the _most_ fruit.

Tom S

Reply to
Tom S

Reply to
patrick mcdonald

You're right Tom.

In Italy Sangiovese is sometimes called "one that fools the dogs". Dogs will eat low hanging grapes that look ripe, but Sangio isn't ripe when it appears that it is.

Our San hangs at least a full 2 weeks longer than our other grapes to get to ripeness.

Sounds like a grower who doesn't know Sangiovese.

Dave Circle S V>

Reply to
Dave

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