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Riesling (Californian) - California Connoisseur

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  • Riesling (Californian) - California Connoisseur

    Hi guys,

    I started this around 19 September. Initial thoughts are hopeful - as they provide Lalvin yeast (i think it was EC-1118, not sure). Somehting to think about as they are on par price wise with my old faithful Beaverdale kits.

    Starting gravity was around 1085.

    Instructions are very easy to follow - standrad kit instructions (i've only ever done Beaverdale and Kenridge before).

    It fermented well and i've now got it stabilising, post finings in demis.

    It has cleared well (the cold weather recenlty has no doubt helped, as its sitting glistening in the shed!). I'll give it another month before racking again, and might sneek a taste then. I usueally leave my whites for at least 3 months before slurping.

    I'll post again with updates.

    Owl.
    A day without wine is a day without sunshine!

  • #2
    Hello All,

    A little late on the update, but here goes!

    I racked and bottled 2 gallons of the 5 i made about 1 week ago. Had a bottle with dinner last night and its good. I think its a little early in the bottle yet, but promises a lot: not much bouquet (unlike normal Riesling; plus you never seem to get much bouquet in Beaverdale kits either), but has some body (finished around 12.2%) and good legs. Its a lovely colour and dry as a bone, but fruity and zippy; a little peppery?

    So this is 6 months old. The flavours may develop a little more in the bottle over the comming months. I would like it to have a bit more mouthfeel, so i may add some glycerine in a trial to one of the gallons at bottling?

    Overall, i would do it again: it offers something different to the usual Beaverdale. Initial score would be 7.5/10 - it lacks something (at this stage) that the Beaverdale White Burgunday or Semillon Chardonnay offer in fruityness. But chill it down and its a good summer quaffing white!

    Owl.
    A day without wine is a day without sunshine!

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    • #3
      Another little update.

      Its been in bottle for nearly a month now (well, three weeks) and the colour has developed significantly - its a lovely golden hue. Strange, as id not really noticed the colour much before. But there is definitely a change. The taste is more or less the same - zingy and peppery, but a good fruit profile as well. I honestly dont know what i was writing when i was talking about legs - cos there are non!

      I keep struggling trying to find a nose profile on this white. Im expecting something, but all i get is a secondary "nose" from tasting, if you get my drift: nothing in the glass. Or a slight, faint hint of fruit - like an apple wine?

      I recall a few gargantuan threads about degassing - this, i confess, i do little of. So, in the spirit of things after a glass of the bottle, i degassed the rest and pow! I got over an inch of throth in the bottle that fizzed away for some time. A couple of more degassings over 5-10 minutes followed. Amazing how much co2 was still in suspension - remember that this is a wine that was made in September last year!

      Has it made a difference? To be honest, im not sure. Perhaps the pepperyness comes out a bit more - but i may be confusing this with a co2 prickle? Has it helped with the aroma? Again, im not sure. I bottled 2 of the 5 gallons made; the rest i intend to deal with over the coming months and i will certianly be degassing them!

      Thoughts?

      Owl.
      Last edited by owlwithoutfeathers; 11-04-2012, 10:24 PM.
      A day without wine is a day without sunshine!

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