Day 25

7am - Pushed down the caps. The syrah/roussanne Brix is 3.0 with a very slow fermentation rate. Given the high starting point, 29.0, this will probably be a strong, sweet wine. The merlot is pretty much done; specific gravity is 0.0. The cap is still floating and should make it to Saturday.

4pm - Pushed down the caps.

Leaving for a 2 day conference in Rye Brook NY. Leaving the cap duty to my twin sons.

Day 24 pm

9pm - After chasing a baby squirrel out of the basement I pushed down the caps. How's that for excitement?

Day 24

6am - I tried something different this morning; not. I pushed down the cap. Merlot vat temperature was 63 degrees. Emptied the 4th merlot bucket into the remaining three and the main vat. Syrah/roussanne still fermenting. I should take a Brix reading of both this afternoon.

Day 23

6am - Pushed down the caps.

7pm - Ditto. The Merlot has maybe another day before adding one of the four buckets back in.

A plastic vat cover is $55 at Maltose. The sheet works just fine.
Dinner with the cabs after a day of breathing softened the taste.

Day 22

8am - pushed down both caps.

8:30-3pm - Racked the zinfandel and cab suav/cab franc off the barrels. Bottled 2.5 cases of each in the process. Had a quick blending taste with the cabs and last weeks merlot. Very enlightning. Will follow-up after a few more of us try it out.

6pm - second cap push of the day. Thought I should purchase a plastic vat cover instead of using a sheet.

Day 21

7am - Morning ritual; pushed down the caps. Syrah/Roussanne level is well below the vat rim. The merlot is settling down also.

8:30pm - Ditto.

Day 20 PM

Thought I could edit this morning's post. Guess not.

6pm - pushed down the two caps. The merlot vat spigot leaks a bit. Didn't have the small bucket under the tap. Oops. Used best cellar practices and cleaned with sulphur/water solution.

Good night wine.

P.S. The old vine zin is bubbling away in the barrel.