2021 Wines - Chapter 5 - Chambourcin

 The 2020 Chambourcin was probably my best red wine to date. It has good flavor and great color retention. It may be a little bit over-oaked, but I expect it to age fairly well.

So the same approach was taken to the limited 2021 crop. The vines have crown gall and so I only have 3-4 left. Those that are left are heavy producers. Picked 9/22, at 1.080, TA 12, pH 2.86. I crushed and destemmed 9/24, then adjusted with 1T calcium carbonate to pH 3.14 and 500g sugar to 1.090. Opti Red/Booster Blanc/Avante/VP41 coinnoculation. I pressed 5 gallons on 9/29. By 10/23 the test strips read zero malic. I let it go another few weeks before SO2 to be safe. 

I've not decided whether to barrel this wine just yet. It's just aging quietly. My "hands off" winemaking approach is either wisdom or laziness. 

2021 Wines - Chapter 4 - Vidal

Last year's 2020 Vidal is not bad, but not notable. So I "spiked" it with some 2019 Vidal that was over-tweaked with citrus and I also added a hint of passion fruit. I have the feeling that none of that would be necessary if I let it hang longer, But Vidal for me is troublesome. They occupy two rows in the vineyard, but I get about 10 vines worth of grapes. I have to net the entire thing because the vines that are doing well are so spread out. I'd love it if I could let these hang to 1.100 and 3.00. Nope, not this year. 2021 Vidal was picked 9/11 at 1.080, TA 13, pH 2.62. I didn't record any acid adjustments but it's entirely possible, even likely, that I made some. Sugar was added to bump the SG to 1.090. Opti White/Booster Blanc/Allegra and room temperature ferment had us down to 1.000 by 9/22. 8 gallons, not counting the Vignoles coferment. I haven't made a really awesome Vidal wine yet, and given the pick numbers I have some doubts that 2021 will be exceptional. Maybe a blender with the Vignoles. 

2021 Wines - Chapter 3 - Vignoles

We were again invited to the Books' vineyard to pick up some late Vignoles. The grapes came in at 1.104, pH 3.08, and TA 12. I elected to cool ferment unadjusted. As with all of the wine this year, I used a Renaissance yeast, Allergro, along with Opti White and Booster Blanc and the usual nutrient protocol over 8 gallons. The yeast was pitched 9/12. By 9/29 it was 1.045, and by 10/16, after a month, it was 1.010 and came out of the fridge. A week later the two carboys were 1.000 and 1.005. It still tastes pretty sweet to me, but we'll sur lie age it and see how dry it is in a few months. If still too sweet, I've got a good blender. 

I also tried a co-ferment with 50% Vignoles, 50% Vidal, but didn't have room in the fridge for this one. It required no adjustments, usual additives and nutrition, and went fast. 

2021 Wines - Chapter 2 - Frontenac

My Frontenac wines, with the exception of the Frontenac Gris, to date have been disappointing. Maybe persistence will pay off. I double netted the back row of the vineyard and still lost practically all of the Foch. But the benefit was that Foch and Frontenac sat on the vines much longer than in years past. I picked around the first of September (failed to note the date) in order to make a Frontenac that is also 8% Foch. I pitched a Renaissance yeast, Avante, on 9/4. No adjustments were made to the must at 1.102, 3.05. Booster Rouge, Opti Red, coinnoculation with VP41, and by 9/9/it was down to 1.000 and I pressed 6 gallons. On 9/12 I racked and added Uva Tan 1.5g/gal to see if we can make this wine color-fast. It's now aging and I'm considering skipping the barrels and only lightly oaking with some cubes. The wine has the usual Frontenac cherry flavor which I'm not wild about but maybe we can make a go of it this year. 

2021 Wines - Chapter 1 - Itasca

 This grape ripens really early. By the time I got around to netting it, critters had taken half. I wound up with 1 gallon worth of juice after picking 8/10. I went with Allegro, a Renaissance yeast that doesn't make H2S. These grapes were whole cluster pressed, with initial readings of 1.104, 8.8, 2.8. No adjustments, cold settled, racked, Opti White and Booster Blanc at usual doses, then into the refrigerator for a cool ferment. This fermentation was made possible by my new Inkbird controller.

I bounced it around between 13-15C. Finally at 1.014 on 9/3 it came out of the fridge. I racked on 9/25 and hopefully it has finished up. Aromas of honey and honeysuckle. Could be a nice wine.