Well, Will asked me how things were going at the U2 brew day and I had to tell him I hadn't even looked at the barrels in ages. I priomised that I would check and get back to everyone, then promptly forgot. Then this morning my friend walked into the ICU as I'm trying to get out and he wants to talk about wine. I'd given him a couple bottles of other stuff at Christmas and he had recetnly had them and was very pleased. SO now he wants to get together to make wine and I told him about how we did it last spring, etc. etc. So I come home an ddecide I better check while its fresh on my mind, so I go down and pull a half glass out o fthe three containers.
Un-oaked, in glass... tastes very fruity and a little harsh. Not bad, The MLB finished.
15 gallon barrel... Nice! Smooth, mellow oak notes, restrained fruit, not as 'funky' as I expected from a Malbec shipped across an ocean. Me likey
30 gallon barrel... Now this is more like it! VERY nice. Not as oaky as the smaller barrel (duh!) Very smooth. This is good.
All in all I'm impressed. We done good. I think the thing to do is to blend them all together at bottling time and leave it at that. I think each has a strong point and none of them have any obvious flaws and the blend will be a good partnership. I'd like a few other opinions so who's available to come over and taste a bit of wine?
Also, if you guys are game we can do it again and buy more grapes.
Let me know
PTN