I ran a comparison of two different methods of crushing red grapes- on stems and off stems- for 192lbs each. From each group I received about ~18 gallons of juice.
The 'stem on fermentation' group is very similiar and tannic to the 'stem off fermentation' with one exception: I have strong bitterness at the finish.
Gelatin, I hear, is an effective tannin flattener- it takes out both the bitter and the short chain tannins. I realize it's going to take a very long time for this wine to mellow out, but I wonder when/if it is appropriate to start attacking this bitter tannin problem.
I had considered blending some of this Cab with a pail 'merlot' that is very weak in tannins to better balance out my own blend. I have the ability to add back Grand Cru tannins purchased from Scott Labs.
Could someone provide me with some feedback for tannin fining schedules and/if it's regularly done? I'm concerned because newsgroup searches don't show very many hits...
Hi Jason, Blending is most effective if you want to drink it younger, or at least some of it. You can work on part, one way, part another if you want to.
As to tannin reduction, I have a 'black with tannins' Chancellor that is 9 years old and is only now close to drinkable. So keep that in the back of your mind when deciding. It is GOOD, it's just taken a LONG time to get there...
Both egg whites an gelatin are effective at softening reds. The Burgundians liked egg whites and I have never had a 'harsh with tannins' Pinot Noir (if that is even possible) so it must be pretty effective at fine adjustment.
If you go that route it's 1/3 to 1 egg (white only) per 20 gallons of wine. You make a slurry of 1 egg/ 100 ml of water and just a pinch of regular table salt (1.15 gram if you want a number). You beat that up, stir the wine and add it, remove in a week or two, no later per Margalit.
Gelatin is easy too. You can buy it from wine shops or just go buy Knox unflavored at the grocery store.
The proportions are 1 to 3 grams per 100L for a white, 3 to 10 for a red. You mix it as a 1% solution into almost boiling water and add it while still hot to the wine while stirring. Rack within 3 weeks.
If you went heavy it would be 2 grams into 200 ml hot water (around a small coffee cups worth). I haven't weighted out the contents of a Knox gelatin packet in a while but I think it was 7 grams per packet (from memory).
I did try gelatin on my Chancellor the next year, but I also got it off the skins quicker. To be honest that first Chancellor is better if you make enough wine to wait it out. I have one case left; I taste one a year, wait another year... The last two years it was drinkable, I'm thinking this could be the year it comes around. It's not a wine for people who don't drink much red wine and never will be. If you think the acid is right on it I might just bottle part of it and wait it out if I were you.
I have tried going both ways with grapes, a short contact and longer. I'm leaning toward longer now. In all honesty if I were selling this I would never do that. I'm making it for me and my tastes have evolved like everyones do. I do remember buying Reunite when I was younger and liking it; I doubt I would care for it now. I'm not knocking Reunite either. It has it's place; I make sweet wine too, just not for me.
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