2023 Cabernet Sauvignon

October 2023

This fall’s plan for the barrel wines is to make 3 batches: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. The CS and CF will be barrel aged, and next fall we’ll make 2 blends. The current thought, that will be adjusted by bench testing in a year, are:

  • Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Cabernet Franc 30%, Merlot 10%
  • Cabernet Franc 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Merlot 10%

This will make two distinctly different wines.

Any leftover Merlot will probably be blended with the Chambourcin (French-American hybrid) that I purchased from Glade Spring Vineyards in Virginia.


Ingredients

Fruit 8 lugs Lodi Central Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Maceration Enzyme 8 ml ScottZyme Color Pro
Nutrient 10 tsp Fermax
6 tsp YAN
Acid
Fermentation Oak 4 cups American oak chips
Sulfite as needed
Yeast/Starter 3 tsp Renaissance Bravo, 1/2 tsp Fermax, 3 Tbsp sugar
3 tsp Renaissance Bravo, 1/2 tsp Fermax, 3 Tbsp sugar
Aging Oak
Glycerin
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Method

Crushed 8 lugs (288 lbs) of grapes, which will be fermented in two batches of 4 lugs each.

The intention was that CS #1 will be fermented with Bravo and CS #2 will be fermented with Avante. Made starter for each yeast with 1 cup water (~95 F), 3 tsp yeast, 1/2 tsp Fermax, 3 Tbsp sugar.

[I made 6 starters, 3 Avante and 3 Bravo, with one of the Bravo being a smaller amount of yeast as it’s for a 1 lug batch.]

10/28/2023
SG —
Checked the SG and pH on both batches prior to inoculation. The SG on both is good, although the pH is high on both (#1: 3.75, #2: 3.72). Since both are below 3.80, I will not adjust them at this time.

Added 5 tsp Fermax to each fermenter, then the starters. This is where I screwed up — I added a Bravo starter both batches because I was rushing and not paying attention as I should have. The larger Merlot batch got the Avante starter planned for CS #1. I was momentarily irritated with myself, but realize that in the grand scheme of this winemaking season, if this is my worst mistake I’m doing fine.

10/29/2023
#1 SG 1.102
#2 SG 1.103
Fermentation took off, as expected. I realized I did not add Color Pro or oak, so I added 4 ml Color Pro and 2 cups oak chips to each fermenter. 10/30/2023
SG —
Added 3 tsp YAN to each fermenter at the morning punch down. I have not checked SG as it probably has not dropped enough to matter. 10/31/2023
SG —
Yesterday I checked SG — 1.011 and 1.020. YIKES. While neither batch appears ready for pressing, everything is lined up.

We pressed 9 gallons from each 4 lug batch. The overall SG was 1.004, which is fine. Not optimal, but fine.

11/05/2023
SG 1.004
Racked the wine. The overall pH is 3.45, which dropped a low from 3.75 and 3.72.

Filled a barrel, and have a bit over 3 gallons leftover. Being out of 12 liter carboys, blending with the roughly 1.7 gallons of Merlot, producing a 19 liter carboy that is roughly 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1/3 Merlot.

11/11/2023
SG 0.996
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Notes

Yield ?? bottles
Alcohol ??.?% ABV
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