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2014 Old Vine Zin
13 September 2014
Crush came a little early, but not as early as I expected.
I was working on getting my crush pad set
up and it was ready.
Finally got my crush pad the way I want it, by getting a plastic chute made for my crusher/destemmer. Seems like a small thing but it deficiently made life easier this year.
The last two years I have been buying my grapes pre-picked, for the ease of handling, and the grapes I wanted were not available when I was ready for them. This year it worked out differently, on 30 August (a Saturday), I was ready and some old vine zinfandel was available, and I mean old vine.
This was from a dry farmed vineyard that had been planted around 1900. None of this fancy trellis system here, just let it grow. These grapes had to struggle just to live. Also very sandy soil (hard to walk in carrying buckets). Originally Gonzales Family vineyard, still in family, but being sold off for development.
Located at 2591 Main St, Oakley, CA 94561 (37.997028, -121.729006). Picked about 200 lbs between &3:0 and 9:30. (Note about 100 lbs just fills a 20 gallon white food grade garbage can, and is just light enough to move by myself). Got them home and crushed around 11:00 am, ended with two containers of about 10 gallons each.
Initial readings were:
SG Calc Brix pH
1.114 27.1 3.24
1.115 27.2 3.34
I always question the initial readings (accept for SG) as the pH and others can be scewed due to solids.
Added 1/2 Tabelspoon of potassium metabisulfite to each. Around 13:00 added additive pack for Brehm, frozen fruit red (BF990 from More Wine)
A B
2 3 • AD351 — Lallzyme EX (0.8 g)
2 3 • TAN220 — FT Rouge - 10 g
2 3 • AD355 — Opti-Red - (8 g)
Why two to one and three to the other, mostly because I had them, and each was good for about 5 gallons.
About 15:00 I added to each:
2 • DYW70 — Dry Wine Yeast - Syrah - (8g)
2.5 • AD342 — Go-Ferm (10 g)
Actually I made a solution using 5 go-ferm packs and 4 yeast and eyeball split them between the two 10 gallons of must.
On Monday (1 September 2014) the Sg were down to 1.085 and 1.090.
Added
2 3 • AD345 — Fermaid K (8 g)
On 6 Spetember the readings were:
SG pH
0.997 3.48
1.0006 3.47
Pressed them on Sunday (7 Spetember) in the morning and added malolactic bacteria to each.
• DYWM7 - Viniflora CH16
Also added about 1/3 lbs of medium toast American oak.
Original plans had been to get 300 lbs and also make a white zin, but after two hours it was getting hot on that Saturday (30 August) , and I was getting tired. But some more zin became available on Monday (1 September - Labor Day).
This was from another old farm, probably not as old, also in Oakley, (1799 Carpenter Rd, Oakley, CA 94561 (37.975856, -121.728616)). These were trellessed, and irrigated. Not as difficult to walk in.
Picked about 100 lbs, between 9:00 and 10:00 (why 100 lbs, only had one additional 20 gallon container. Got home, and after a short rest crushed and pressed around noon. Ended up with around 6 gallons of juice.
Initial readings were:
SG Calc Brix pH
1.114 27.1 3.57
Added Brehm frozen fruit pack – BF995 (White) from More Wine again.
Added
2 • AD356 — Opti-White - (15g)
2 • TAN250 — Tannin FT Blanc Soft - 3 g
added 1/2 Tabelspoon of Potassium Metabisulfite
At 15:00 added:
1 • DYW78 — Dry Wine Yeast - ICV GRE - (8g)
2 • AD342 — Go-Ferm (10 g)
On 3 September added:
2 • AD345 — Fermaid K (8
On 6 Spetember the readings were:
SG pH
1.006 3.48
Surprizingly close to the regular zin, added malolactic bacteria.
• DYWM8 - Viniflora CH135
Also added about 1/3 lbs of medium toast American oak.
The following weekend an opportunity to get some Pinot Gris that had
one some awards became available. So on Saturday (6 September) at
13:00 in the afternoon I was out on the Alhambra Valley (6180
Alhambra Valley Rd, Martinez, CA 94553 37.963913, -122.199247)
picking grapes. These were trellessed, and irrigated, with a
volcanic soil. Good looking grapes.
Picked about 100 lbs, between 13:30 and 14:30. Why 100 lbs, my
original plan was to get chardonnay, but I like Pinot Gris, also
wanted room if Chardonnay becomes available. Got home, and after a
short rest crushed and pressed around 16:00. Also crushed and
pressed about another 100 lbs with some others that were picking at
the same time, using my equipment as it was already setup and was
trying to be friendly. Ended up with around 6 gallons of juice of my
own.
Initial readings were:
SG Calc Brix pH
1.100 24
3.57
Added Brehm frozen fruit pack – BF995 (White) from More Wine again.
Added
2 • AD356 — Opti-White - (15g)
2 • TAN250 — Tannin FT Blanc Soft - 3 g
added 1/2 Tabelspoon of Potassium Metabisulfite
At 20:00 added:
2 • DYW 60 — Dry Wine Yeast - QA23 - (8g)
2 • AD342 — Go-Ferm (10 g)
On Wednesday (10 September) checked the readings, and fermentation
had not really started. As this batch was inside (in a 6 gallon
bucket), I added a heat pad and some
2
• DYW10 - Redstar Premier Cuvee
On Saturday (13 September) fermentation was finally going strong SG
was down to 1.08, so added.
2 • AD345 — Fermaid K (8 g)
4 October 2014
Well the first batch has made it through primary and secondary
(mostly) and is in carboys for settling and aging. I have two
5 gallon carboys of zin with medium American oak cubes, one 5 gallon
carboy of white zin also on medium American oak cubes, and one 5
gallon carboy of pinot gris.
They all look good and I have some hihg hopes for them.
SG TA SO2
pH ABV
Zin 1 0.997
11 4
3.7 15.7
Zin 2 1.0006
11 4
3.7 15.4
White Zin 0.997 7
10 3.7 15.7
Pinot Gris 0.998 9
18 3.3
14
On 4
October
(Sunday)
an opportunity to pick some viognier at the same location as the
pinot gris, became available. So 8:00 in the
morning I was again out on the Alhambra Valley (6180 Alhambra Valley
Rd, Martinez, CA 94553 37.963913, -122.199247) picking grapes. These
were trellessed, and irrigated, with a volcanic soil. Good looking
grapes.
Picked about 100 lbs, between 8:30 and 9:30. Got home, and after a
short rest crushed and pressed around 11:00. Ended up with
around 5 gallons of juice of my own.
Initial readings were:
SG Calc Brix pH
1.130 30-
3.62
This
was a little (sic) high on the Brix and would have made about a 17%
ABV if taken to dry or a sweet wine if stopped short. Decided
to adjust and added acidulated water (~ 1 gallon)
Final
SG Calc Brix pH
1.1 24
3.43
Added Brehm frozen fruit pack – BF995 (White) from More Wine again.
Added
2 • AD356 — Opti-White - (15g)
2 • TAN250 — Tannin FT Blanc Soft - 3 g
added 1/2 Tabelspoon of Potassium Metabisulfite
At 16:00 added:
2 • DYW 56 — Dry Wine Yeast - ICV - D47 -
(8g)
2 • AD342 — Go-Ferm (10 g)
28 February 2015
By early October had racked all to carboys,
added some potassium metabisulfatel and started aging and settling.
Added some medium American oak cubes to the zin. To the white
zin, pinot gris, and viognier racked to carboy and add some
lysozyme.
Racked the pinot gris, white zin, and
viognier on Thanksgiving and again on New Years. Also racked the zin
on New Years. Added som more potassium metabisulfate on
New Years
On New Years also had a bit of an accident.
I perfer to use glass carboys because I feel they are easier to
clean ans sanitize. As I was moving the pinot gris its carboy
tapped another and the pinot gris carboy cracked halfway around
about a quarte of the way down. I lost about a gallon (boy did
the room smell good for a while (old rug on the floor)).
Racked the pinot gris, white zin and viognier
again on 21 February and added Albumex Bentonite (trying to make
sure the wine is clear and stable). Racked them again on 28
February and added Sparkolloid (about 9 grams each). Topped up
the carboys on the 21st.
Doing all the racking and additions to
try and make the wine real clear and stable.
28 March 2015
At the last racking (28 Feb 15) I added
sparkoloid to help clarify the white wine. And it did a good
job.
Racked the whites off the sediment and giving
it a while longer to bulk age. Still looking looking and
tasting good.
9 May 2015
On Mother's day weekend (5/9/15) I bottled
the Vognier, Pinot Gris, and White Zin. After a month or so of
bottle rest it should be ready.
Give the zin another couple of months.
21 June 2015
On 19 June I sampled my 2011 Petite Sirah, my 2012 Syrah, and my
2014 Vognier and Pinot Gris at the 2015 Ruth Bancroft Gardens
Scuplture Show to good comments (many repeat customers)On 20 June I bottled my Old Vine Zin.
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Or my excursion into winemaking
