CLICK HERE FOR THE BLUBEC RECIPE!

This is perhaps the first wine where I feel I have not only planned everything correctly but actually done the work perfectly too. The more traditional recipe I use was overhauled to change it from a medium bodied wine to that of a full bodied red with 14% ABV – higher than I usually go at 13%. This was done adding extra blueberries for the base flavour, raisins for vinocity and extra tea to add tannin and mouth feel. Acidity was also measured and adjusted using tartaric acid rather than citric acid from lemons.

My processes were also overhauled with a cold maceration at the start for five days – people often discuss the merits of this but personally I think it works. The actual maceration was also increased to a whopping 13 days after the yeast was pitched with a punch down three times a day for the first ten days. This allowed the fruit to sit for an age extracting flavour from the thick skins as well as lots of tannins coming through. As the alcohol was higher I used a step addition to get there safely and ensure a good fermentation rather than risk all the sugar creating a sluggish ferment that could possibly stall. Temperature while not adjusted was monitored and was a steady 28°C. After that a thorough press extracted all the juice I could reasonably get without the chance of cracking the seeds – can you crack blueberry seeds?

I had originally planned to keep this bulk ageing for about a year before bottling but in the end I waited for 17 months. Initially I thought it would be vinegar or highly oxidised but some how it has come out beautifully. The blueberry flavour is very much there but it is not fresh and zingy but a well modified flavour that is rich and deep with strong but not overpowering tannins. Tannins will have come from the berry skins, seeds, raisin skins, tea and oak chips that were used straight after fermentation had ended at the first rack. The wine also had a splash back to introduce a litttle oxygen to aid in tannin binding. Mouth feel is good with a velvety touch rather than the thinner medium bodied wine I have made previously. The high alcohol is not noticeable and there is no hint of any “hot” taste burning as you drink it. Acidity seems spot on with the tartaric acid having a noticeable benefit as opposed to the citric acid of traditional recipes. I am very proud of the ink black colour that this wine has which looks very rich sitting in the glass.

Even the corking gods were smiling and I got the bottles filled perfectly to have as little head space in the bottles as possible. The wine will now sit for another year at least I hope. In that time I am hoping that even more complexity will develop. Might have to use this as a basis for a port this year.