NW Winemaking Notes

California/Washington Grapes Specs 2005

NOTE: Most of these data are generated by home winemakers on Vancouver Island using techniques that usually do not meet laboratory standards. These data are intended for the use of Club members only.

A link from the table of contests indicates some data are available for that particular grape.

Last updated: Saturday November 08, 2008 10:42 PM -0800

Black grape crush

Cabernet Franc (Paso Robles—Ranchita Canyon)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
D. Graham	26.0	2.8	3.91
D. Lukyn	24.8	4.7	3.89	Added 50g tartaric to 2 pails to drop pH to 3.48
G. Gibson	25.2	4.4	3.82	Intense fruit; added 5% acidulated water and then 1.5g/L tartaric, bringing pH to 3.34
J. Taylor	26.3	3.4	3.96	2g/L acid addition produces 5.5 and 3.55
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles—Dutton)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
Meridian	24.0	4.3	3.50	From main picking of several hundred tons (same time)
R. McNeil	25.0	5.0	na	Dark juice made TA determination difficult
I. Baker	24.5	6.0	3.82	Unsettled juice; adding tartaric
N. Lemmen	24.0	2.8	3.91
D. Graham	22.4	3.0	4.00
J. Taylor	23.3	3.0	3.92	With 3 grams tartaric: 6.4 and 3.32
G. Gibson	23.5	3.8	3.90
E. Sargent	24.5	4.2	na	Adding 2g/L tartaric.
J. Routledge	24.5	3.1	3.97	xx
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

Merlot (Paso Robles—Dutton)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
Meridian	24.2	4.3	3.60	From main picking of several hundred tons (same time)
B. Clover	25.4	4.2	3.68	Nice looking grapes.  Bob is a contact for us in Paso and got some of the same grapes we are getting.
N. Lemmen	23.8	2.8	3.68
D. Graham	24.6	3.0	3.89
G. Gibson	24.4	3.5	3.60
E. Sargent	24.5	4.0	3.90	Adding 2g/L tartaric.
J. Taylor	25.1	3.1	3.70	Added 1g/L tartaric; lowered pH to 3.37
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

Petite Sirah (Paso Robles—Tower Oaks)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
D. Hoeppner	22.9		3.78	Good, fully ripe flavor.
D. Lukyn	23.8	5.0	3.92	Added 60g tartaric to 2 pails to drop pH to 3.52
J. Taylor	23.8	4.2	3.94	Adding 2g/L produces 6.2 and 3.52
G. Gibson	21.9	5.2	3.85	Adding 1g/L tartaric
J. Nemeth	21.5	5.1	3.92
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

Sangiovese (Paso Robles—Ranchita Canyon)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
R. McNeil	24.0	6.0	na	TA is approximate
N. Lemmen	23.8	5.2	3.32
D. Graham	25.2	4.9	3.37
J. Taylor	23.8	5.0	3.38
G. Gibson	24.3	9.5	3.32	Based on 3 sample—2 boiled; some VA evident
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

NOTE: I asked the grower whether he had any stats on his Sangiovese from others who got it. His reply: "Seems there was a mixed bag with the Sangio—one report was a 26 Brix and 3.30 pH, another was 24.2 Brix, and had not done pH, and another was 23.5 without a pH reading.... The vineyard was a real challenge this year, and we dropped a lot of fruit. We even spent a whole day prior to harvest dropping "pink" fruit off vines that had shut down, and in some cases we must have missed "pink" fruit. Thus, I am not sure where your fruit will fall—we sent it out on different trailers, so there is a bit of a mix from the vineyard. Hope it turns out okay for you."

A later note from the grower: "I am surprised the Brix was that low on your Sangiovese [I reported 23.8 as a typical measure]—most others came in around 25.0 - 25.5. The pH was low this year, and I guess that is okay. Hope it turns out well with you. Everyone really likes the taste."

Syrah (Lodi—Oak Grove)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
N. Lemmen	25.7	4.0	3.77	Settled juice
G. Beck	na	5.0	3.77	D. Graham's measurements.
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

Zinfandel (Lodi—Oak Grove)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
N. Lemmen	25.0	4.2	3.97	Brix on less than fully settled juice; SG = 27 Brix
D. Gillingham	26.0	5.6	3.91
G. Beck	na	4.7	3.92	D. Graham's measurements
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

 

 

Zinfandel (Paso Robles—Westside)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
J. Taylor	26.8	5.4	3.65	Very concentrated must.
E. Sargent	26.7	3.8	3.90	Adding 2g/L tartaric.
D. Graham	26.7	5.2	3.68	Settled sample
D. Croot	27.0	xx	3.60
J. Nemeth	25.0	7.1	3.85	Brix on 3 pails varied
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

NOTE: This year has not been kind to the "westside" area in Paso Robles.  Normally the best grapes come from this area, which benefits from the cooler climate and limestone soils.  However, this was a cooler year, and some "westside" grapes are not even being harvested.  Still, we have heard that the grower was pleased with these grapes.  Our pail yield per ton was very low, which suggest a high proportion of stems to grapes (and drier, more concentrated grapes).

White grape juice

Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
Meridian	24.6	7.3	3.47	YAN=534; NH3=178
I. Baker	14.7-15.2		3.34	Actively fermenting; 17L and 19 L for 2 pails; inch of sludge on bottom
D. Graham	12.4-15.9	6.6	3.56	Actively fermenting--temp 5-7 (range of five pails)
K. Marson		8.9	3.52	Actively fermenting--too late to measure Brix
J. Taylor	13.6-15.9	7.4	3.45	Actively fermenting; added D254
R. McNeil	14	na	na	Fermenting; pails 23L and 20L
N. Lemmen	15.2	9.2	3.34	Fermenting.  Measurements on a sample from many pails at 20º
G. Gibson	16.0-18.5	6.5	3.52	Fermenting.  TA and pH are on boiled, reconstituted sample from 2 pails and are quite different from initial readings on each pail individually; 1g/L of DAP reduced H2S considerably; added D254; pails about 18L. NOTE: Finished at .9925.
G. Gibson (2)	16.3	7.75	3.20	Second lot of two pails (only about 32L of clear juice with 3L of sludge for "duaning")--overall, 18.5L average
J. Nemeth	??	7.2	3.40	xx
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

NOTE: The Santa Barbara Chardonnay had no sulfite added, as the winery barrel ferments this juice, with a sur lie MLF, and it does not like to sulfite in these circumstances. No yeast was added, so fermentation is wild yeast.

 

Pinot Gris (Columbia Gorge—Underwood Mountain)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
K. Marson	23.5	7.5	3.37	Clear juice, extremely fruity.
D. Graves	23.9	7.2	3.38	Dark juice; will ferment as received.
D. Graham	23.4	7.0	3.34
I. Baker	23.8	7.8	3.12	Will ferment without modifications.
J. Taylor	23.3	7.1	3.33
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

NOTE: Our acid measurements are quite different than those on the pail.  The pail could be wrong because its numbers seem to be the same as those from a test before harvest. In any case, do your own testing before making adjustments. Note that Peter Brehm's juices usually arrive quite oxidized and brown.  This brown will disappear during fermentation.

Pinot Gris (Santa Barbara County)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
Meridian	24.4
K. Marson	24.4	4.8	3.72	Adjusted to 7.8 and 3.24
J. Taylor	23.3	4.2	3.68
R. McNeil	25.5	4.7	na	pail 20L
I. Baker	24.8	5.4	3.58	Adding water and tartaric; great flavor
G. Gibson	24.2	4.8	3.57	Ameliorating and reacidifying.
D. Hoeppner	24.2	xx	3.49	xx
B. Malthouse	29.5	4.6	3.64
J. Waring	24.5
J. Nemeth	17.0	4.0	3.41	xx
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

NOTE: 40 ppm sulfite added to juice at winery.

Sauvignon Blanc (Lodi—Oak Grove)

Source	°Brix	TA	pH	Comment
I. Baker	22.0	5.8	3.37	Juice is clean
J. Taylor	20.4	6.3	3.45	Numbers adjusted after retesting.
G. Gibson	21.7	5.9	3.41
J. Routledge	21.4	5.7	3.42
K. Marson	20.7	6.1	3.45	@20°C; very clean juice
N. Lemmen	20.7	6.0	3.43
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx
xx	xx	xx	xx	xx

 

Prepared and updated by Rod Church on the basis of reports from those who received these grapes.