2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

The red grapes came into the wine store, and it is a busy weekend, so I got there early looking for some of those OldVine Zinfandel grapes that were so good last year. The grape truck was late, and they were out of Zinfandel, so I walked through the cooler and found some tasty Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. They looked good, but were on the juicy side, which means they had a little lower sugar than grapes that had dried a bit. On the other hand, they had a good grape-y flavor.

2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Recipe

144 lb Vignolo Farms Top Brass Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

4 lb sugar to increase sugar content by 3.5%

16 g yeast energizer

8 packets of Lipton tea (decaf because that is what I had on hand)

2 packets of Red Star Montrachet

No sulfite in this year's batch since the grapes warmed up quickly, and I could get my yeast on it on the same day. Also the relatively fresh grapes had no "Noble Rot" which my father and grandfather associated with wild yeast, but which most people think of as fungus.

Initially the refractive index measured at 21.9 degrees Brix. I added 4 lb of sugar and it went up to 25 degrees Brix, which should be good for 13% alcohol. I decided not to try for a more manly 14.5% like I have other years. That is sometimes I like a weaker wine, and sometimes I like a stronger wine. And of course, the stronger the wine, the less I can drink of it.