Saving my red wine?
I posted this earlier under the 'drying out my red wines' but I'll
repost under a new subject in hopes I can obtain an answer.
I have 15 gallons of Cab Sauv and 5 gallons of Zin, so not an
inconsequential amount. I oaked, MLF'd, and otherwise ran the reds
through the same processes as the whites (processed gently at 68-72F
in the basement heated booth).
The juices were obtained pressed without skins and both weighed in
around 1.08. Reading more on the topic it would seem that I should
have pressed the juice (if I had had skins) down around 1.05 to 1.00
or so.
The Zin has a gorgeous smoky bouquet- exactly what I was looking for
with no hint of diacetyl and the Cab has a solid oak aroma that
encourages that first sip- yet when that precious liquid touches the
tongue there is nothing behind it. No taste but runny red juice.
There is a residual sweetness that the Clinitest estimates at 0.25% to
0.5%.
At this late stage in the game, is there any way to salvage these
wines? Should I consider blending them away with better 'cheap
bottle' wine (Banrock Station is inexpensive) to mask the failure for
this year? Would adding Grape Tannins so late in the process (I'd
like to be bottling in 2 months) be advisable?
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide,
Jason
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