2020 Zinfandel
October 2020 – I like last year’s Old Vines Zinfandel from Lodi, CA, so I’m making it again. Some or all of it will get blended into the other wines for the Bordeaux style blend.
Yes, I know Zinfandel is not a Bordeaux grape ….
The plan changed — I’m doing 1 barrel of just Bordeaux grapes (Merlot + Vinifera Blend) which I’m calling 2020 Meritage. The remaining wines, including this one, will go in the second barrel and I’m calling it 2020 Meritage Plus.
Ingredients
| Grape | 144# Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, CA |
| Enzyme | 2 tsp Scottzyme Color Pro |
| Fermentation Oak | 1 lb shredded American oak, medium toast |
| Yeast | 2 packages Red Star Premier Rouge |
| Nutrient | 12 tsp Fermax + 6 tsp Fermax |
| Acid | |
| Sulfite | potassium metabisulfite added at various points (see below) |
| Fining Agent | |
| Aging Oak | |
Method
| Crushed & destemmed the grapes. Grapes at 52 F, have to warm up to 65 F before inoculation.
Added Scottzyme Color Pro for improved color extraction and 1 lb fermentation oak. |
10/10/2020 SG 1.090 |
| Temperature rose to 67 F in the afternoon. Added 12 tsp Fermax and yeast. | 10/11/2020 SG 1.090 |
| Added 6 tsp Fermax. | 10/14/2020 SG 1.058 |
| The cap started to drop with fermentation ended, so I got little free run from this. Medium pressed the pomace.
Reserved 2 gallons each of wine, which will continue to be tracked in this log. The intention is to bottle 1 gallon of varietal wine. All remaining wine is part of the 2020 Meritage Plus blend. |
10/20/2020 SG 0.996 |
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Notes:
| Yield | ? bottles |
| Alcohol | ?% |
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