Looking at making a small batch of Cabernet Savignon Port this season.

Yeast will be Preimer Cuvee and sugar feeding to bring the abv to
~18%, then fortify with Everclear and sweeten to taste.

Intend try extended maceration on the skins during sugar feeding for 3
to 4 weeks, as the must will continue to produce CO2 during this time.
Picking grapes today.

Comments please, much appreciated!

Steve
Oregon

I tasted such a port produced by Rockhouse vineyards in Columbus, NC. The
vintner fortified it with Cognac. It was like very ripe blackberries with
brandy, absolutely delicious.
Steve
"spud" > wrote in message
...
> Looking at making a small batch of Cabernet Savignon Port this season.
>
> Yeast will be Preimer Cuvee and sugar feeding to bring the abv to
> ~18%, then fortify with Everclear and sweeten to taste.
>
> Intend try extended maceration on the skins during sugar feeding for 3
> to 4 weeks, as the must will continue to produce CO2 during this time.
> Picking grapes today.
>
> Comments please, much appreciated!
>
> Steve
> Oregon

Thanks, glad to hear it can be good! Any thoughts on extended
maceration for this project?

Steve
Oregon


On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:46:50 -0500, "Steve Peek" >
wrote:

>I tasted such a port produced by Rockhouse vineyards in Columbus, NC. The
>vintner fortified it with Cognac. It was like very ripe blackberries with
>brandy, absolutely delicious.
>Steve
>"spud" > wrote in message
.. .
>> Looking at making a small batch of Cabernet Savignon Port this season.
>>
>> Yeast will be Preimer Cuvee and sugar feeding to bring the abv to
>> ~18%, then fortify with Everclear and sweeten to taste.
>>
>> Intend try extended maceration on the skins during sugar feeding for 3
>> to 4 weeks, as the must will continue to produce CO2 during this time.
>> Picking grapes today.
>>
>> Comments please, much appreciated!
>>
>> Steve
>> Oregon
>

All right, no warnings or thoughts on this?

Plow ahead, see what happens?

Steve
Oregon

On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:39:47 -0700, spud >
wrote:

>Looking at making a small batch of Cabernet Savignon Port this season.
>
>Yeast will be Preimer Cuvee and sugar feeding to bring the abv to
>~18%, then fortify with Everclear and sweeten to taste.
>
>Intend try extended maceration on the skins during sugar feeding for 3
>to 4 weeks, as the must will continue to produce CO2 during this time.
>Picking grapes today.
>
>Comments please, much appreciated!
>
>Steve
>Oregon

Well, with extended maceration you're going the opposite way than
traditional port production where the wine spends only about 3-4 days
on skins before it's fortified and pressed. During that time they
extract colour and some tannnins quite aggressively, with some
companies using autovinifiers to run juice through the cap every 15
mins or so. Also, I remember reading that they want to press fast
after they fortify because the high alcohol can quickly extract bitter
tannins.

So that's you basic concern - starting with a tannic grape like Cab,
prolonging the ferment with sugar and then going for extended
maceration, you're looking at a very tannic port that might not be
drinkable for many years. You might get some softening of the tannins
in the end, but I'm not sure if/how that works in high alcohol
environments.

That said, it might turn out great, that's the beauty of this hobby.
When I'm in situations like these, I sometimes split the batch in 2
and do it both ways (the other would be to press early and then keep
feding sugar) and then compare.

Pp

On Oct 22, 7:00 am, spud > wrote:
> All right, no warnings or thoughts on this?
>
> Plow ahead, see what happens?
>
> Steve
> Oregon
>
> On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:39:47 -0700, spud >
> wrote:
>
>
>
> >Looking at making a small batch of Cabernet Savignon Port this season.
>
> >Yeast will be Preimer Cuvee and sugar feeding to bring the abv to
> >~18%, then fortify with Everclear and sweeten to taste.
>
> >Intend try extended maceration on the skins during sugar feeding for 3
> >to 4 weeks, as the must will continue to produce CO2 during this time.
> >Picking grapes today.
>
> >Comments please, much appreciated!
>
> >Steve
> >Oregon- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Steve - here is my port method for a cab port:

We started at brix 26. At brix 13, (about 7% alcohol) i removed about
3.5 gallons of the fermenting juice and added about 1.5 gallons of
single distilled alcohol (110 proof). You can use everclear. If you
know someone who makes good quality moonshine, that could work.
Emphasis on the good quality (you don't want to get poisoned). I have
also used commercial brandy. Let it sit with an airlock. We let it
sit for about 1 week, then racked it off the lees. I'll probably rack
again 1 month or so later and add heavy toasted oak. Let it sit for a
long time.

others have taken the unfermented juice, added brandy and some brown
sugar. I've tastes this and it is great, but never done it, as it
defies my logic.
marc

Thanks, I was wondering if high abv would extract to much rough
tannin. Taking it off the seeds would help.

The EM may offset that by softening the tannin, but I don't have
experience in EM. I simply don't know.

Thanks for the response!

Steve
Oregon








On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:00:29 -0700, spud >
wrote:

>All right, no warnings or thoughts on this?
>
>Plow ahead, see what happens?
>
>Steve
>Oregon
>
>On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:39:47 -0700, spud >
>wrote:
>
>>Looking at making a small batch of Cabernet Savignon Port this season.
>>
>>Yeast will be Preimer Cuvee and sugar feeding to bring the abv to
>>~18%, then fortify with Everclear and sweeten to taste.
>>
>>Intend try extended maceration on the skins during sugar feeding for 3
>>to 4 weeks, as the must will continue to produce CO2 during this time.
>>Picking grapes today.
>>
>>Comments please, much appreciated!
>>
>>Steve
>>Oregon

On Oct 23, 12:47 am, spud > wrote:
> Thanks, I was wondering if high abv would extract to much rough
> tannin. Taking it off the seeds would help.
>
> The EM may offset that by softening the tannin, but I don't have
> experience in EM. I simply don't know.
>
> Thanks for the response!
>
> Steve
> Oregon
>
> On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:00:29 -0700, spud >
> wrote:
>
>
>
> >All right, no warnings or thoughts on this?
>
> >Plow ahead, see what happens?
>
> >Steve
> >Oregon
>
> >On Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:39:47 -0700, spud >
> >wrote:
>
> >>Looking at making a small batch of Cabernet Savignon Port this season.
>
> >>Yeast will be Preimer Cuvee and sugar feeding to bring the abv to
> >>~18%, then fortify with Everclear and sweeten to taste.
>
> >>Intend try extended maceration on the skins during sugar feeding for 3
> >>to 4 weeks, as the must will continue to produce CO2 during this time.
> >>Picking grapes today.
>
> >>Comments please, much appreciated!
>
> >>Steve
> >>Oregon- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I did an extended maceration on a Chancellor back in 98; it's only now
drinkable. It was practically black; I did leave the seeds in. I've
never done port so can't add anything.

Joe