{"id":1435,"date":"2019-06-25T12:52:44","date_gmt":"2019-06-25T16:52:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/?p=1435"},"modified":"2026-03-22T06:58:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T10:58:21","slug":"progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/","title":{"rendered":"Progress on My Quest for Making Superlative Wines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>June 25, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my April 29, 2019 blog about <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"My Quest for Top-Quality Fruit for Making Superlative Wines (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/my-quest-for-top-quality-fruit-for-making-superlative-wines\/\" target=\"_blank\">My Quest for Top-Quality Fruit for Making Superlative Wines<\/a> I talked about my challenges in sourcing good fruit (or must) in my area, i.e. Montreal (Quebec, Canada). So I decided to try three pails of frozen must of <a href=\"http:\/\/winegrapesdirect.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"WineGrapesDirect (opens in a new tab)\">WineGrapesDirect<\/a>\u2019s best of the best for evaluation purposes. I chose the following varieties, one white and two reds, from the 2018 harvest (prices are in US$ for 5-gal pails unless stated otherwise):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sonoma Chardonnay, Russian River Valley AVA, Olivet Lane Vineyard ($250 \u2013 5.25-gallon pail)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga AVA ($230)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oregon Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains AVA ($175)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In that blog I presented a set of measurements from my analysis of each must, i.e. pre-fermentation, and described some general and specific winemaking procedures I intended to use to craft these musts into the best wines possible.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1455\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/2018-winegrapesdirect-chromatogram-5-17-2019-enhanced\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018-WineGrapesDirect-Chromatogram-5-17-2019-enhanced-e1561570203266.jpg?fit=131%2C208&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"131,208\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;MX920 series&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1558126596&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2018-WineGrapesDirect-Chromatogram-5-17-2019-enhanced\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018-WineGrapesDirect-Chromatogram-5-17-2019-enhanced-e1561570203266.jpg?fit=189%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018-WineGrapesDirect-Chromatogram-5-17-2019-enhanced-e1561570203266.jpg?fit=625%2C994&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018-WineGrapesDirect-Chromatogram-5-17-2019-enhanced.jpg?fit=625%2C994&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1455\" style=\"width:119px;height:189px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Digitally enhanced chromatogram showing Cab and Pinot have completed MLF, Chardonnay still in progress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>All three wines have completed alcoholic fermentation (AF) and malolactic fermentation (MLF), and are now aging in my cellar at a cool 13\u00b0C (55\u00b0F). Following is an update of what has transpired since and a set of measurements from my analysis of each wine immediately post AF and MLF. The volumes indicated post AF\/MLF are from the first racking. Final Brix measurements were taken using a high-accuracy (\u00b10.1B) hydrometer. MLF completion was ascertained through both paper chromatography and enzymatic\/UV-VIS analysis of malic acid; all wines measured less than 5 mg\/L of residual malic acid. Measurements highlighted in yellow or red are potential points of concern and which need close attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2018 Russian River Chardonnay, Olivet Lane Vineyard<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My desired style of Chardonnay here is for a softer but full-bodied\nwine with oak aromas and flavors with <em>sur-lie<\/em>\naging to give it some extra mouthfeel and greater aging potential. So I\nfermented with a Lalvin Bourgoblanc CY3079 yeast followed by MLF with Lactoenos\nB7 (LF16) Direct bacteria. I had initially wanted concurrent AF and MLF but the\nAF had problems starting, therefore, I fermented slightly cooler and then\nre-inoculated at warmer temperature for MLF at the end of the AF. Yeast\nassimilable nitrogen (YAN) was 271 mg N\/L, so no adjustment was necessary given\nthe 22.2 Brix. Total days in AF and MLF were 15 and 43, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"625\" height=\"123\" data-attachment-id=\"1436\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/chardonnay-analysis-2-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chardonnay-Analysis-2-1.jpg?fit=1008%2C199&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1008,199\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Chardonnay-Analysis-2-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chardonnay-Analysis-2-1.jpg?fit=300%2C59&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chardonnay-Analysis-2-1.jpg?fit=625%2C123&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chardonnay-Analysis-2-1.jpg?resize=625%2C123&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1436\" style=\"width:777px;height:153px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chardonnay-Analysis-2-1.jpg?w=1008&amp;ssl=1 1008w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chardonnay-Analysis-2-1.jpg?resize=300%2C59&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chardonnay-Analysis-2-1.jpg?resize=768%2C152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chardonnay-Analysis-2-1.jpg?resize=624%2C123&amp;ssl=1 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The AF completed perfectly to \u20132.1 B leaving less than 0.7 g\/L (0.07%)\nof reducing sugars (RS). ABV as measured by ebulliometry is 12.5%, which is\n0.7% lower than the expected ABV using my theoretical yield outlined\npreviously. The lower ABV suggests that the yeast possibly metabolized sugars to\na lesser extent into ethanol. 12.5% ABV is however ideal for this style of wine\nand for my palate.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1449\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/20190516_111055\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190516_111055-e1561480954666.jpg?fit=460%2C345&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"460,345\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.9&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-A520W&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1558005054&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;160&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.03030303030303&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;6&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20190516_111055\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190516_111055-e1561480954666.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190516_111055-e1561480954666.jpg?fit=625%2C469&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190516_111055.jpg?fit=625%2C469&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1449\" style=\"width:177px;height:237px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>I originally stated that some attention would be required with regards\nto total acidity (TA) as I had measured a low tartaric acid (H<sub>2<\/sub>T) concentration,\nmeaning that MLF could potentially bring TA to a very low level assuming that\nthere was a considerably higher proportion of malic acid (I was not able to\nmeasure malic acid in the must). But everything worked out well with the final\nTA coming in at 5.84 g\/L. What is interesting here is that both tartaric acid concentration\nand pH increased. That would seem odd until we look at potassium (K<sup>+<\/sup>)\nion concentration, which also augmented, explaining the increase in pH. The\nmost plausible explanation here is that potassium bitartrate (KHT) formed\nduring the must freezing process ionized, which increased tartaric acid (as\nbitartrate) and K<sup>+<\/sup>. We can expect a small drop in TA following\ntartrate stabilization when the wine is ready for cold-crashing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The data on tartaric acid, K<sup>+<\/sup>, ABV, and pH can also be used\nto calculate what is known as the <em>Concentration\nProduct<\/em> (<em>CP<\/em>) and predict tartarte\n(cold) stability ahead of future tests (Zoecklein et al. 1999); here, the CP\ncalculation predicts that tartrate stability fails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Measurement of volatile acidity (VA) was well within the detection\nthreshold of 600 mg\/L; CY3079 is a low-VA producing yeast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dissolved oxygen (DO) was at a very low 43 \u03bcg\/L with now just about 6 mg\/L\nof free SO2. The drop in A<sub>420<\/sub> absorbance measurement indicates that any\nbrowning previously measured in the must is effectively gone. This means that\nthe SO<sub>2<\/sub> (from KMS addition to the must) and GSH-containing OptiMUM\nWhite have done their job. GSH, or glutathione, is a strong antioxidant\nnaturally occurring in grapes. I added potassium metabisulfite (KMS) to obtain 66\nmg\/L free SO<sub>2<\/sub>; this is based on 0.8 mg\/L molecular SO<sub>2<\/sub>, pH,\nethanol content and cellar temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1443\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/winestix\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WineStix-e1561481071685.jpg?fit=460%2C345&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"460,345\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.9&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-A520W&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1557155982&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;80&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.03030303030303&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;6&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"WineStix\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WineStix-e1561481071685.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WineStix-e1561481071685.jpg?fit=625%2C469&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WineStix.jpg?fit=625%2C469&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1443\" style=\"width:94px;height:125px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>I added one carboy-sized <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"WineStix (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.winestix.com\/oak-barrel-alternatives\/front_end\/winestix-carboy-c5\" target=\"_blank\">WineStix<\/a> oak stick to give the wine an oak profile. Given the small test volume, barrel aging was not an option. During aging, I will be stirring the lees occasionally to release more mannoproteins from the dead yeast cells to increase mouthfeel and aging potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All in all this is shaping up to be a great wine. The aromas and flavors are already quite attractive making it a game of patience now to let the wine age gracefully into something even bigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga AVA<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here too I\u2019m going for a full-bodied wine with oak aromas and flavors but without <em>sur-lie<\/em> aging choosing to experiment with exogenous tannins and mannoproteins to give it some extra mouthfeel and greater aging potential. I went with a sequential inoculation of Uvaferm BDX yeast and Lactoenos B7 (LF16) Direct bacteria after a drop of about 10 Brix. YAN was 155 mg N\/L, so I bumped that up with a Thiazote pH addition to 250 mg N\/L given the 23.0 Brix. I performed 3-4 punchdowns per day to extract maximum color and tannins. Total days in AF and MLF were 9 and 21, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"625\" height=\"142\" data-attachment-id=\"1437\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/cabsauv-analysis-2a\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2a.jpg?fit=877%2C199&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"877,199\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"CabSauv-Analysis-2a\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2a.jpg?fit=300%2C68&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2a.jpg?fit=625%2C142&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2a.jpg?resize=625%2C142&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1437\" style=\"width:777px;height:176px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2a.jpg?w=877&amp;ssl=1 877w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2a.jpg?resize=300%2C68&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2a.jpg?resize=768%2C174&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2a.jpg?resize=624%2C142&amp;ssl=1 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"625\" height=\"94\" data-attachment-id=\"1438\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/cabsauv-analysis-2b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2b.jpg?fit=711%2C107&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"711,107\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"CabSauv-Analysis-2b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2b.jpg?fit=300%2C45&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2b.jpg?fit=625%2C94&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2b.jpg?resize=625%2C94&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2b.jpg?w=711&amp;ssl=1 711w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2b.jpg?resize=300%2C45&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CabSauv-Analysis-2b.jpg?resize=624%2C94&amp;ssl=1 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1688\" height=\"4578\" data-attachment-id=\"1446\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/20190501_071613-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?fit=1688%2C4578&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1688,4578\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.9&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-A520W&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1556694973&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.03030303030303&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20190501_071613-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?fit=111%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?fit=378%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?fit=378%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1446\" style=\"width:57px;height:154px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?w=1688&amp;ssl=1 1688w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?resize=111%2C300&amp;ssl=1 111w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?resize=768%2C2083&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?resize=378%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 378w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?resize=624%2C1692&amp;ssl=1 624w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071613-1.jpg?w=1250&amp;ssl=1 1250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The AF stopped at \u20130.6 Brix, which initially concerned me as the wine might\nnot be completely dry and opening the possibility of microbial instability due\nto residual sugar; however, RS measured 2.86 g\/L, which is below the\nindustry-accepted threshold of 4 g\/L for microbial stability but above my own\nthreshold of 2 g\/L. There is a risk given the high pH, but proper SO<sub>2<\/sub>\nmanagement should keep things in check. I will re-evaluate this before bottling\nand decide whether \u201csterile\u201d filtering is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ABV measured 12.4%, only 0.4% lower than the expected ABV using my\ntheoretical yield outlined previously. I had not adjusted the initial Brix\nthinking I would get close to my desired 13\u201313.5% ABV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was an increase in TA to just under 8 g\/L; this is a little high\nfor this style of wine but there is sufficient tartaric acid and K<sup>+<\/sup>\nions to get a drop in TA to under 7 g\/L, maybe more. The expected drop in pH is\ndue to the production of fermentation succinic acid and the drop in tartaric\nacid and K<sup>+<\/sup> ions forming KHT. But the still-high K<sup>+<\/sup> and\npH will be an ongoing concern. The CP analysis predicts that the wine is\ntartrate unstable here too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VA was measured to be well below the detection threshold, and so, there\nare no concerns here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DO was at a very low 13 \u03bcg\/L with little free SO<sub>2<\/sub> left. I added KMS to get approximately 120 mg\/L of free SO<sub>2<\/sub> and 0.5 mg\/L of molecular SO<sub>2<\/sub>. This was the first KMS addition and, to account for quick binding, I doubled the amount needed (from 60 mg\/L) at this high pH. For those who have attended <a href=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/home%20winemaking%20news_events.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"my seminars (opens in a new tab)\">my seminars<\/a> will know that the idea here is to sulfite less frequently but with larger doses that will result in lower total SO<sub>2<\/sub> at bottling. It\u2019s counterintuitive but that\u2019s SO<sub>2<\/sub> chemistry for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at color and tannin (phenol) numbers and interpret their\nmeaning.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4608\" height=\"3456\" data-attachment-id=\"1447\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/20190501_071343\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?fit=4608%2C3456&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4608,3456\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.9&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-A520W&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1556694823&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.058823529411765&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;6&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20190501_071343\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?fit=625%2C469&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?fit=625%2C469&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1447\" style=\"width:142px;height:189px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?w=4608&amp;ssl=1 4608w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?resize=624%2C468&amp;ssl=1 624w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?resize=240%2C180&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?w=1250&amp;ssl=1 1250w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190501_071343.jpg?w=1875&amp;ssl=1 1875w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll recall that absorbance (A) measured at 450, 520, and 620 nm are\nindicators of yellow\/brown, red, and blue color, respectively, in red wines. A<sub>520<\/sub>,\ni.e. the red component, should be as high as possible for deeply rich, dark\nreds, and this being a young wine, there will be some blue tones in the color\nas evidenced by the A<sub>620<\/sub> measurement; this will decrease over time\nas the wine ages. I had pointed out in my earlier blog that the must had a not-insignificant\nyellow component, which was due to polyphenol oxidation in the absence of SO<sub>2<\/sub>,\nbut that this should disappear with a small KMS addition. In fact, as expected,\nA<sub>420<\/sub> dropped substantially, causing a drop in color intensity (IC)\nas well as hue. What is interesting here is that there was essentially no\nchange in A<sub>520<\/sub>, meaning there was no further extraction of red color\nduring maceration and fermentation. I was hoping to get the IC in the 8\u201312 range.\nThe net result is that this Cab will have a lighter color than I would have\nliked though this was to be expected given the very high pH and K<sup>+<\/sup>,\nmost likely due to a rainy season. On the upside, because of the drop in A<sub>420<\/sub>\nand A<sub>620<\/sub>, brilliance of red jumped to over 50%, so that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TPI, or total phenol index, is an indicator of total phenol content. Post\nAF\/MLF, TPI is just about 37, which means that, in the range 30\u201350, the wine is\nrelatively full-bodied with a good structure. So we did well here extracting and\nadding tannins, which helps add body to the wine given the relatively lower ABV,\nalthough this will not be a turbo-charged Cab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The A<sub>280<\/sub> measurement is an indicator of the wine\u2019s astringency although more recent research demonstrated that A<sub>230<\/sub> measurement is a better indicator. I am monitoring these measurements over the life of the wine to see how bitterness and astringency evolve, and to associate tasting notes to the measurements. Right now, they are in the expected range for this wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this stage the wine is (as expected) very closed in and characteristically young. Here too I added one carboy-sized WineStix oak stick to give wine an oak profile and increase complexity. Given the small test volume, barrel aging was not an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2018 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains AVA<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My expectations for this Oregon Pinot Noir have been and remain very high as I am on a mission to make the best Pinot possible. It has been a challenge sourcing good Pinot fruit (or must) here. My initial analysis of must parameters indicated that this might just be that elusive Pinot I have been longing to make. The numbers looked just about perfect in every respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As with the Cab, my desired style here too is for an oak-influenced, full-bodied\nwine. I went with a sequential inoculation of Lalvin RC-212 yeast and Lactoenos\nB7 (LF16) Direct bacteria. YAN was at a low 99 mg N\/L, so I bumped that up with\na Thiazote pH addition to 250 mg N\/L. I performed 3-4 punchdowns per day to\nextract maximum color and tannins. Total days in AF and MLF were 9 and 17,\nrespectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1439\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/pinot-noir-analysis-2a\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2a-e1561481286336.jpg?fit=877%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"877,200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2a\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2a-e1561481286336.jpg?fit=300%2C68&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2a-e1561481286336.jpg?fit=625%2C143&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2a.jpg?w=625&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1439\" style=\"width:780px;height:177px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"625\" height=\"95\" data-attachment-id=\"1440\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/pinot-noir-analysis-2b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2b.jpg?fit=713%2C108&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"713,108\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2b.jpg?fit=300%2C45&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2b.jpg?fit=625%2C95&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2b.jpg?resize=625%2C95&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2b.jpg?w=713&amp;ssl=1 713w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2b.jpg?resize=300%2C45&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Pinot-Noir-Analysis-2b.jpg?resize=624%2C95&amp;ssl=1 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>ABV measured 13.3%, only 0.3% lower than the expected ABV using my\ntheoretical yield outlined previously, but just perfect \u2013 for me \u2013 for this\nstyle of wine. RS is at 3.26 g\/L, which, as with the Cab, I will need to\nevaluate how to manage at bottling, i.e. if sterile filtration will be\nrequired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was a fairly big jump in TA to about 7 g\/L; again, a little high\nfor this style of wine but a cold stabilization treatment should bring this\nback down just a tad and in perfect balance with tannins and sugars. VA came in\nat 658 mg\/L, which is just over the detection threshold although I am not\ndetecting any smell or taste of VA. I don\u2019t know the cause of this at this\npoint, but it\u2019s definitely something I\u2019ll need to watch closely.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1448\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/20190503_100732\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190503_100732-e1561481154448.jpg?fit=460%2C345&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"460,345\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.9&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-A520W&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1556878052&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;3.6&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.03030303030303&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;6&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20190503_100732\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190503_100732-e1561481154448.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190503_100732-e1561481154448.jpg?fit=625%2C469&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/20190503_100732.jpg?fit=625%2C469&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1448\" style=\"width:203px;height:270px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Interestingly pH increased from 3.39 to 3.55 in spite of the relatively\nlarge jump in TA and tiny drop in K<sup>+<\/sup>, and so I need to investigate\nthis to understand why this happened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here too the CP analysis predicts that the wine is tartrate unstable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DO was at a very low 17 \u03bcg\/L with little free SO<sub>2<\/sub> left. I\nadded KMS to get approximately 60 mg\/L of free SO<sub>2<\/sub> and 0.5 mg\/L of molecular\nSO<sub>2<\/sub>. This was the first KMS addition and, to account for quick\nbinding, I doubled the amount needed (from 30 mg\/L) at this high pH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at color and tannin (phenol) numbers, we see very comparable\nresults to the Cab, which is excellent given that we are dealing with Pinot\nNoir here. As with the Cab, we see a drop in yellow- and blue-color components <em>but<\/em> with a small increase in IC due to\nthe higher red component. Hue also dropped below the 0.8 threshold. So I was\nsuccessful with this Pinot in extracting more color during maceration and\nfermentation. TPI and astringency numbers are exactly where I want them to be,\nso this is all good news. I\u2019m definitely excited about this Pinot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although characteristically young, the wine is already evolving nicely exhibiting pleasant fruity aromas. I added one carboy-sized WineStix oak stick that should provide added complexity to what I believe will be an outstanding Pinot, the likes of commercial Oregon Pinot Noirs I have been enjoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Could this be that best Pinot I have been longing to make? Time will\ntell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay tuned for further updates on how these wines are evolving during\ntheir graceful, slow aging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cheers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>References<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ough, C.S. and M.A. Amerine. 1988. Methods for Analysis of Musts and\nWines. 2nd. John Wiley &amp; Sons, New York (NY).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rib\u00e9reau-Gayon, P., Y. Glories, A. Maujean and D. Dubourdieu. 2012. Trait\u00e9 d\u2019\u0153nologie, Tome 2 \u2013\nChimie du vin. Stabilisation et traitements. 6e \u00e9dition. Dunod, Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zoecklein, B.W., K.C. Fugelsang, B.H. Gump and F.S. Nury. 1999. Wine\nAnalysis and Production. Aspen Publishers, Gaithersburg (MD).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>June 25, 2019 In my April 29, 2019 blog about My Quest for Top-Quality Fruit for Making Superlative Wines I talked about my challenges in sourcing good fruit (or must)&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/techniquesinhomewinemaking.com\/blog\/progress-on-my-quest-for-making-superlative-wines\/\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[118,3,9],"tags":[122,121,123,120,124],"class_list":["post-1435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-frozen-must","category-home-winemaking","category-product-reviews","tag-cabernet-sauvignon","tag-chardonnay","tag-pinot-noir","tag-winegrapesdirect","tag-winestix"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - 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