Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel with Grape Skins Wine Kit - Winexpert Private Reserve

This was my first try at a wine kit. I have been part of WSJ wine club for several years and wanted to try my hand at recreating some family favorites. Since we love big rich Lodi Zin, I picked this for my first try. Everything proceeded as per the instructions. Since my house is cold in the fall, I put my fermenter in a water bath with a large fish tank heater in the water to keep things at the appropriate temperature. The taste test at the end of the 8 weeks was very hopeful, though a little more aging in the bottle should improve the wine as others have noted. I reserved a gallon, added brandy and back sweetened slightly after primary fermentation which has produced a yummy ruby port. I also had one of those gallon size oak casks that I had used to age several batches of bourbon and have now filled with this Zin. The bourbon barrel aging has been going for about a month and the 1/2 glass taste test the other day was really excellent. Time to bottle the port and the barrel aged experiments. I am expecting top results by late summer with the main part of the wine batch after the wine ages based on the port and the oak aged experiments and other's reviews.

All supplies arrived as expected.

I have crafted this Zin kit 5 or 6 times and have enjoyed the wine for years. I have 2 bottles left from a kit made in 2017, which are just as good today as they were 6 months after bottling. Stores well in the library. This kit I'm allowing it to sit with extra oak for a few weeks, hoping to create a slight lean toward the oaky flavor.

When the kit was complete I wasn't happy with the taste so I parked it in the carboy for an additional month. Wow did it change in that time! It's an excellent wine, that we've enjoyed at every occasion during the holidays. We really love this Eclipse wine so much that I will be buying another kit today!

I have made this kit many times and it has proven never to disappoint! One of my favorites!