Poppyseed Cellars

We did all right in the Sonoma County Harvest Fair Amateur Wine Contest. Here are the results.

My wines…

• 2009 Syrah: Silver
• 2009 Sauvignon Blanc: Bronze
• 2008 Sauvignon Blanc: Silver

So I am pretty happy, though we really wanted a gold for the Syrah. Every wine without any defects gets at least a bronze. Something is usually wrong with the wine if it gets no award.

I am entering 3 wines into the 2010 Sonoma County Harvest Fair…’09 Syrah, ’09 Sauvignon Blanc, ’08 Sauvignon Blanc, all under the Poppyseed Cellars label.

Also, Afsi is running for the Bennett Valley Union School District board this fall! 5 contenders, 3 positions available.

Crossing our fingers…

I finally bottled it. Tasted good, although the finish and after taste were a little off. Hopefully due to the coffee or the toothbrushing I did earlier.

Anyways, it is bottled. 4 1/2 cases. I didn’t try to hard to get the last drops out of the carboys. The wine was still on the bentonite; I didn’t want to fluff it up.

I moved it all out the the farm for storage, keeping 6 bottles for home use!  

I took sample of the ’09 SB and the 09 Syrah to BevPeople for SO2 testing:

• 2009 Syrah:  27 ppm free SO2
• 2009 Sauvignon Blanc: 19 ppm free SO2

The SB is ready for bottling! Maybe I can pull it off this weekend.

Just tasted the Syrah with Erwin. Very nice. It is definitely improving. It has a nice aromatic nose. Fruity with maybe a little spicyness. The tannins are slightly light in the mouth, but still noticeable.

I decided to go with 0.5 g/L, or 23 grams total for 46 liters. I mixed the Bentonite and 1 cup of water in a blender, over the span of about 6 hours. It became a thick slurry. I then used a syringe to inject the slurry into the carboys while stirring.  They clouded up immediately, although later in the day they were already clearing.

Time to evaluate.

First, the clarity of the wine in the test jars, before pouring into a wine glass for tasting. I brought them into the kitchen under brifght lights, but it is easiest to see the clarity against the background of our light oak cabinets. It is harder to see it against a white background. One thing…there are some clumps floating still, although most of the bentonite has fallen to the bottom.

• 0: Clearly the haziest.
• 0.25 g/L: Compared to the 1.5 g/L, I can still see aslight haze.
• 0.5 g/L: I can see no difference between the 0.5 g/L and higher. Based on sight only, the 0.5 g/L seems appropriate.
• 1.0 g/L:
• 1.5 g/L:

The nose seems to be the strongest on the cntrol, with the least nose on the 1.5 g/L. The 1.5 also seems to have the least fruit in it. There is grapefruit on the finish, and it really hangs in there for awhile. I taste no difference between the control and the 0.5 g/L. The nose on the 0.5 has a slightly more bready or savory character, which I actually like. Can we actually smell bentonite? Or maybe the savory is there, but covered up by something the bentonite is removing.

Based on this, I am going to go with the 0.5 g/L. Containers are 23L each, so that is 11.5 g/container, or 23 g total. Not enough time to do it this morning, but hopefully this weekend.

So the SB has a slight haze. It needs to be fined. I am going to fine with Bentonite, whcich helps to remove protein hazes. I will so some bench trials, based on MoreWines discussion of Bentonite fining.

1. Mix a 5% Bentonite solution, by mixing 5 g Bentonite with distilled water to get 100 mL of solution. It took a couple of days for all the Bentonite to dissolve.
2. Addition solution concentration = 50g/L
3. Do a trial with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 g/L Benonite
4. Bench trial volume = 100 mL
5. .5 g/L * 100 mL = .05 g Bentonite needed for 100 mL
6. .05 g / 50g/L = .001 L = 1 mL 5% solution
7. So here are the bench trial additions for 100 mL of wine:
   1. 0.0 g/L:  0 mL solution
   2. 0.25 g/L: 0.5 mL solution
   3. 0.5 g/L:   1 mL solution
   4. 1.0 g/L:   2 mL solution
   5. 1.5 g/L:   3 mL solution

Tomorrow I’ll take a look and see how well it has settled. I could also leave it for a fewq days, while we go skiing.

Tested the 09 SB at BevPeople…LO sulphites…as in none…zip…zilch!

Bob said that titrets read about 25ppm high, and I have been measuring 25 ppm…

I need to add some sulphites. I am going to add 30 ppm. This is 2.0 mL/gal 10% sulphite solution.

• 2.0 mL/gal * 6 gal carboys = 12.0 mL each

Cold stabilization is complete. I will rack into 2 6 gallon (23 L) carboys, with some left over into clear bottles. The clear bottles will make it easier to see the clarity, and compare to some commercial wines. I think that there is a very slight haze, and I might need to fine the wine.

I have a sample to take to BevPeople, to do a SO2 test there. I want to correlate it with my titret test.

I seem to not have measured the final sugar levels, or at least if I did, I never entered it into these notes. So here are a complete set of measurements:

23 L carboy (6 gal):

• pH: 3.08 with meter
• Acid: 6.6 g/L by titration with pH meter to 8.2 pH
• Sugar: 0.2% by clinitest
• SO2:  20 ppm by titret
• Eye: Clear (in a glass), pale straw
• Nose: Nice citrus. grapefruit
• Mouth: Crisp. Good citrus flavor. Nice long finish.

25 L carboy (6 gal):

• pH: 3.05
• Acid: 9 g/L by titration with pH meter to 8.2..this cannot be right. I will measure the acids again when the wine is at the same temp as the pH calibration samples. The pH meter is supposed to be TC, but maybe this is too much of a temperature difference (the wine might be near freezing).
• Sugar: 0.2% by clinitest
• SO2:  20 ppm by titret
• Eye: Same as above
• Mouth: Same as above
• Nose: Same as above

We have the beginnings of a mild cold spell. I will use it for cold stabilizing the ’09 SB. It is mostly cleared, although there still seems to be a very slight cloudiness. I will put it outside on ice for 2 weeks for cold stabilization, and hope that maybe it clears a little better.

Both  carboys are now out, in the 20 gallon fermenting tubs, packed with ice. Two weeks will be the 6th of January.

10PM: Since we might need a 6 gallon carboy for the syrah pressing tomorrow, I decided to rack the 2009 SB and clean up 1 carboy:

• Racked the 6 gallon, 6.5 gallon, 1 gallon into clean 6, 6.5 gallon carboys.
• Measured the SO2 at ~ 25 ppm.
• Added 25 ppm more SO2.
  • 6 gallon * 1.6 mL/gallon 10% SO2 solution = 9.6 mL, to each carboy
• Nose: excellent; fruit, citrus, grapefruit, no sign of H2S.
• Taste: also excellent. Good acidity, nice and crisp. I had a glass left over and drank it down.
• This might end up my best wine ever.
• The wine is still cloudy. I’ll let it sit 2 months, and check to see if it needs to be fined.

I have been icing the the water bath every morning and evening. No bad nose until tonight. The 6.1 gal carbot has a very slight H2S coming out the bubbler.

• 6.6 gal carboy
  • sugar: 2.5% (~ -1+/day)
  • nose: mild citrus; not very strong aroma; some mineral
  • taste: bitter; I hope that goes away. Citrus
• 6.1 gal carboy
  • sugar: 1.5% ( ~-1+/day)
  • nose: same as above; no H2S on the nose
  • taste: good acidity; crisp; less bitter than the other carboy

Even with the slight H2S near the carboys, I am going to let it go. These should be done in a day or two. The plan is to move them to the farm as soon as they are dry. Then let them rest!

• 6.6 gal
  • sugar: 7% (-1.75/day)
  • nose: clean, light grapefruit
  • taste: crisp; acidic; grapefruit
• 6.1 gal
  • sugar: 6% (-2/day)
  • nose: same as above; stronger; still a mineral nose to it
  • taste: some bitterness; acidic; good clean nose and taste

A-OK!

• 6.6 gal
  • sugar: 10.5 brix (~-1.5/day)
  • nose: grapefruit;citrus; mineral
  • taste: same; good acidity; the same bitter finish as last year; it has gone away later on in previous years
• 6.1 gal
  • sugar: 10 brix (~ -2/day)
  • nose: mineral;citrus; taht gravelly mineral aroma is getting more distinct. It would be great if it stuck around for the bottle.
  • taste: same as above
  • This carboy foams more than the other whenever I disturb the wine. I wonder why?

I didn’t check the 1 gallon jug; I can see that it is still bubbling away. I’ll check it in a few days.

No H2S…everybody happy. But it is time to get the carboys topped up. The ferment is going to slow soon, and O2 will start being a problem. I picke dup a 6 gal Better Bottle carboy from BevPeople. So much easier top handle. First the measurements

• 6.6 gal
  • sugar: 11.5 brix (-1.5/day)
  • nose: modless than normal arama; citrus;grapefruit
  • taste: good, still mix of sweet and citrus, but starting to get crisp and tangy
• 6.1 gal
  • sugar: 12 brix (-2/day)
  • nose: same
  • taste: same
• 5 gal:
  • sugar: 11 brix (-2/day)
  • nose & taste: same, with some strong mineral aromas

Racking:

1. Racked the 6.6 gal -> 6 gal Better Bottle.
2. Cleaned the 6.6 gal carboy.
3. Racked the 6.1 gal -> 6.6 gal.
4. Cleaned the 6.1 gal.
5. Racked the 5 gal into 6.6 gal to top off, the rest into the 6.1 gal.
6. Racked the 6 gal Better Bottle to top off the 6.1 gal.
7. There was 1 gallon of leftover, went into 1 gal jug. I had to add a little distilled water to top it off.

Now everything is topped off with very little room for air. Now I can let the ferment finish, then move to the farm for the winter.

Got a bit of the funk H2S back. Not much, but a little.

• 5 gal carboy:
  • sugar: 13 brix (-3/day)
  • nose: still clean and cirtusy; same as yesterday
  • taste: fizzy; grapefruit juice
• 6.1 gal carboy:
  • sugar: 14 brix (-2/day)
  • nose: same as above
  • taste: same as above
• 6.6 gal carboy
  • sugar: 13 brix (-3/day)
  • nose: slight H2S; otherwise OK, same as above I wonder if this is wehre the H2S is coming from
  • taste: same as above…the H2S seems to have blown off…no more nose

I will try 1g/gal more of the DAP; this is corresponding to a very low nutrient grape. See BevPeoples catalog.

Overall, garage is smelling quite nice. No bad odors. I can tell if something is going bad just by walking near the carboys now.

• 5 gal carboy:
  • Sugar: 16 brix (-2/day)
  • Nose: strong citrus, grapefruit
  • taste: sweetness dropping off; grapefruit; odd minerally finish
• 6.1 gal carboy
  • Sugar: 16 brix (-2.5/day)
  • Nose: same as above
  • Taste: same as above
• 6.6 gal carboy
  • sugar: 16 brix (-2/day)
  • nose: same
  • taste: same

All is happy in the cellar!

All is well this morning. The H2S smells are gone. It smells like clean fermenting juice again. I guess the DAP did the trick. That is the first time I have used the stuff.

Also, I discovered the Fermaid K I am using is a year old. I am going to dump it and start with a fresh batch, although I have no idea if it goes bad.

Ferment is really going now.

• 5 gal carboy: 
  • Sugar: 18 Brix (-3/day)
  • Nose:Grapefruit, yeast
  • Taste: sweet, grapefruit, citrus, fizz…can I bottle this?
• 6.6 gal carboy; when taking a sample, pretty strong whif of H2S, that quickly dissipated.
  • Sugar:18 Brix (-2.5/day)
  • Nose: slight H2S;grapefruit, citrus, yeast
  • Taste: sweet, grapefruit, fizz
• 6.1 gal carboy
  • Sugar:18.5 Brix (-2/day)
  • Nose: I sniffed and tasted right away: brief whif of H2S; blew off pretty fast, then just as above.
  • Taste: Just as above

I am think I need to rack off the lees, whatever little there is. I shoudln’t need any more Fermaid K. I will let it sit until tomorrow night, then rack it. Actually, I think I’ll add some DAP (diammonium phosphate). Nitrogen is what it is to the yeast

• 1 g/gal * 14 gallons = 14g split up among the 3 carboys

Yes, I can smell a slight H2S poroblem. I don’t know what the &^&$^& I am doing wrong. So, I will add 1g/gal of Fermaid K. It solved the same problem last year, although the problem is showing up earlier in the ferment than last year.

• Add 1g/gal Fermaid K
• 5 gal carboy w/ 4gal = 4*1 = 4g Fermaid K
• 6.6 gal carboy w/5gal = 5*1 = 5g Fermaid K
• 6.1 gal carboy w/ 5gal = 5*1 = 5g fermaid K

Measurements:

• Sugar 5 gal carboy: 21 Brix
• Sugar 6.6 gal carboy:  20.5 Brix
• Sugar 6.1 gal carboy: 20.5 Brix

These numbers look great. The ferment is cruising along nice and slowly. Gotta keep adding ice, twice a day.

Nice nose; fruit, citrus ; so much grapefruit! I wish I could somehow retain this grapefruit, but each time I get it during the ferment, and each time it dissipates, and only traces are left in the wine.

Fermentation is going pretty strong now. No bad smells. It’s got the fruity, citrusy, yeasty nose.

I checked the sugars tonight.

Sugars: 22 brix.

So it is off to a nice gentle start! Taste was just like the nose: citrus, fruit, yeast. Nothing bad.

I have kept the water bath at 60F. Tonight I am pushing it down to 55F.

7AM: Iced down the juice again. It was sitting right at 60F.

10PM:

• Racked the juice off the gross sediment. Fermentation on the clear juice gives a lighter brighter wine…supposedly.
• Created a starter mixture of yeast: 40 ml of water, 40 ml of juice, 15 grams Prise de Mouse yeast, which is the same yeast as last year. I need to watch out for the H2S, which happened last year. This time I will do the full dosage of Femaid K.
• Added the yeast to the juice; iced it down (still at 60F) and cleaned up.
• Time to sleep.

I decided to try whole cluster pressing in an attempt to get a fruitier light wine. So no need to rent a crusher; just a press.

I drove to the vineyard in Healdsburg:

Got there at 8 AM. I met with the grower and we started picking. We dropped a lot of fruit, on the growers advice, because of mildew problems. I couldn’t really see it, but I dropped fruit that didn’t look good. Filled up 3 20 gallon tubs. Assuming 5 lbs/ gallon, that is 300 lbs, although I don’t think it was really that much. Here are two of the tubs:

After picking, drove to BevPeople and picked up a #35 basket press. Went home, cleaned up and got organized, and started pressing:

I pressed into a 23 L, 25L and ~2/3 of a 3 gallon carboy. So that is 6.1+6.6+2.5 = ~15 gallons. Not a lot for 300 lbs, so I probably didn’t have 300 lbs. Also, the whole clsuter pressing was difficult. When I checked the grape cake, there will still whole grapes. I stirred up the cake a few times and repressed. I’ll have to decide if I want to do this gains without a crusher. It is way easier with crushed grapes.

I finished the pressing and put the carboys in a cold water bath for an overnight settling. I want the temperature around 55F for start of fermentation.

The I did the numbers:

• Sugars: 23 brix
• pH: 3.08
• acids: 8.2 g/l

Damn good numbers! This should make a nice crisp dry SB, perfect for global warming and the summer of 2010.

Next, time to sulphite, to 50 ppm, using 10 % potassium metabisulphite solution:

• 23L carboy: 6.1 gal * 3.3 ml/gal = 20 ml
• 25L carboy: 6.6 gal * 3.3 ml/gal = 21 ml
• 3 gal carboy: 2.5 gal * 3.3 ml/gal = 8.3 ml

All done for the day!

Found some grapes…Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc, found on craigslist…heres the ad:

I currently have up to ~14 tons of Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc ready to pick.

This is available in any quantity up to 14 tons at a price of $0.75 per pound.

These grapes are currently measuring 22° to 24° Brix.

These are also available for late harvest for those of you interested in making dessert win!!!

Please contact Ken at (707)480-4300 for price an availability.

THIS MUST SELL!!! CALL TO COME BY AND L@@K AT THE FRUIT!!!

I am only buying 300 lbs…what would I do with 15 tons?