2023 Port

December 2024

Overall, the 2021 Port was a successful effort, so we decided to try it again. This time we used the 2023 Sangiovese, which is 2 juice buckets fermented with the pomace of 20 lugs of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.

Last month we bottled most of the Sangiovese. We ran out of bottles after 7 cases, so we put the remainder, along with residue from the barrel, into a 12 liter carboy.

Today we bottled 7 bottles from the carboy and transformed the remainder into a Port-style wine, netting 18 split bottles.

We used the same method as in 2022, adding glycerin to the wine (adds body and mouthfeel), then fortifying with EverClear 151 proof to 20% ABV, then backsweetening. This wine does not need stabilizing, as an ABV of 18% or higher is more than the yeast can tolerate, so it won’t spark a new fermentation in the bottle.

Following are the notes from the experiment:

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Ingredients

Fruit	6 liters 2023 Sangiovese
Glycerin	6.5 oz (see below)
Spirits	680 ml EverClear 151 proof
Sugar	1 cup

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Method

12/22/2024 – These notes deviate from my normal format, as the actions we took split the batch and all actions occurred in one session.

We racked the 12 liter carboy, which had thick, hard sediment. Part of this wine was residue from the barrel, and is a bit oakier than the main batch bottled last month. The result is a slightly different taste.

The plan is to bottle 7 bottles as a regular wine, and transform the remainder into Port. We don’t drink a lot of sweet or fortified wine, so having 12 liters is way too much. Fortifying 6 liters makes more sense for our needs.

We added a scant 1/4 tsp K-meta and 5 oz glycerin. The taste test was odd, the glycerin did not add much. We typically add 1.0 to 1.5 oz per 4 liters. We decided to add another 2 oz glycerin, stirring very well. This was sufficient, so we bottled 7 regular bottles.

Pearson’s Square indicates that to bump 6 liters of wine from 13.5% ABV to 20.0% requires 680 ml EverClear. We added that and stirred well. It has a nice flavor, but it a bit hot tasting.

The mouthfeel needs bumping, so we added an addition 3 oz glycerin (total of 6.5 oz in 6 liters).

We reviewed the notes from the 2021 Port, which started with 3/4 cup sugar, and we added another quarter cup added prior to bottling.

For this one we started with 3/4 cup sugar and stirred the heck out of it. Taste was good, but not quite there. My son scooped up another 1/4 cup sugar and looked at me — I nodded — we were completely on the same page, thinking it needed that much more sugar.

He started as my go-fer when he was about 8 years old, so we’ve been making wine together for twenty years. In a lot of things we don’t have to discuss it — it helps we have very similar tastes in most things.

Stirred again, tasted, and it was just right. We bottled in 18 split bottles.

Unlike with the 2021 Port, we checked SG at every stage, as each addition changed the SG:

Stage	Specific Gravity
base Sangiovese	0.995
added 7 oz glycerin to full batch (12 liters)	1.003
Added 680 ml EverClear to 6 liters wine	0.996
Added 3 oz glycerin to 6 liters wine	0.999
Added 1 cup sugar to 6 liters wine	1.011

Note: the final volume is 6 liters wine + 0.68 liters EverClear + sugar. My calculations are not exact (some things are rounded), and I’m ok with that.

What I have is a repeatable process that will work for transforming future wines into a Port style wine.

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Notes

Yield	18 split (375 ml) bottles
Alcohol	20%
Residual Sugar	3.2%
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