Tonight when I punched down the cap, it seemed less firm, and the scent of the wine had changed, becoming fruitier. Tasting the wine confirmed what I suspected, it’s time to press. The sourness has diminished and the fruit is coming forward.

So I put the Australian Shiraz concentrate in the fermentation chamber with the new wine, removed the Thermowell from the fermenter and put it on top of the Shiraz, and plugged the oil heater into the temperature control, still set to 75° F. This will keep the new wine at the proper temperature, and bring the Shiraz up to a temperature at which fermentation will begin quickly.

Harvest Day +10, 9:45 PM: Ready to press the new wine, bringing the Shiraz concentrate up to fermentation temperature

Tomorrow, if all goes well, I’ll press the new wine into a carboy and begin malolactic fermentation, and dump the pressed grapes in with the Shiraz concentrate and begin primary fermentation with that.