Yeast

Red Star Premier Cuvee 

Premier Cuvee is a fast-starting, clean, neutral "Champagne Yeast". 

A popular choice in many styles of wine because of its vigorous fermentation characteristics and high alcohol tolerance, up to 18%. 

Whether making Sparkling Wines, Wines from high sugar must, or any Red or White Wine Premier Cuvee is a good all rounder.

This yeast can also be used to restart stuck fermentations.

Recommended Styles: Sparkling Wines, High Alcohol Wines, Red & White Wines, Fruit Wines, Cider, Mead

500g and 10kg available by request - call for price and lead time.

Red Star Premier Rouge/Pasteur Red 

Pasteur Red is a strong fermenter for producing full bodied reds; especially good with grapes from the Cabernet and Zinfandel families, as well as Fruit Wines made from Dark Berries or Cherries

Formerly known as Pasteur Red.

Recommended Styles: Full Bodied Red Wines, Fruit Wines (Dark Berry/Cherry), Cabernet Franc/Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel

10kg available by request - call for price and lead time.

Red Star Premier Blanc 

When aiming to create a DRY White or Red wine, Premier Blanc is a great choice.

With a vigourous fermentation rate and a tolerance to Sulfur Dioxide, Premier Blanc will ferment all the way to dryness.

Recommended Styles: Dry Red and White Wines, Fruit Wines, Cider, Mead

Red Star Premier Classique (Montrachet)

A strong fermenter with good alcohol tolerance that is useful in producing dry, full bodied red and white wines. 

Montrachet will leave a wine with intense color and excellent flavor complexity while preserving tannin content.

This yeast has a below average alcohol tolerance of 13%, which may be useful for making wines with residual sugar.

Recommended Styles: Full Bodied Red and White Wines, Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot

500g and 10kg available by request - call for price and lead time.

Côte des Blancs is also known as Epernay II. It is recommended for Chardonnay, Riesling, mead and cider, as well as fruit wines, particularly apple. it imparts a fruity aroma in both red and white wines. A slow fermenter that works best between 50 and 80 degrees. This strain will not ferment to a dryness at the low end of the range, leaving residual sugar resulting in a sweeter wine.

500g and 10kg available by request - call for price and lead time.

Lalvin RC212  

Lalvin Bourgorouge RC212 is a stellar yeast for producing Burgundy style Red Wines. Due to the limited polyphenol adsorption on its cell wall, this yeast promotes the stabilization of the color and tannins during fermentation.

The RC 212 is recommended for red varieties where full extraction is desired. 

Lighter red varieties also benefit from the improved extraction while color stability is maintained throughout fermentation and aging. Aromas of ripe berry and fruit are emphasized while respecting pepper and spicy notes.

RC212 consistently produces Pinot noirs, Gamay, Zinfandel and other Red Wines with good structure, ripe berry, bright fruit and spicy characteristics.

Recommended Styles: Burgundy Style Red Wines, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Gamay, Cabernet Franc/Sauvignon

Yeast Lalvin EC1118

Lalvin EC-1118 (Prise de Mousse)™: ALL PURPOSE YEAST. Most widely used yeast by the kit manufacturers. All purpose yeast. Also called champagne yeast.

Lalvin EC-1118 is the original and is good for barrel fermentations. It ferments well at low temperatures and flocculates well with very compact lees. Under low nutrients conditions, Lalvin EC-1118 produces a lot of SO2 (up to 30 ppm) and as a result can inhibit malolactic fermentation. It is classified as a Saccharomyces cerevisiae bayanus.

Recommended Styles: White Wines, Red Wines, Rosé, Sparkling Wines, Fruit Wines, Cider

Yeast Lalvin K1-V1116

Lalvin V1116 (K1)™: The secure choice for light, fresh, crisp whites. It can also be used for rosé or basic red wines. V1116 (K1) is recommended for the fermentation of icewines.

Lalvin V1116 (K1) was isolated in 1972 by Pierre Barre of the INRA Montpellier. V1116 (K1) tends to express the freshness of white grape varieties. Natural fresh fruit aromas are retained for longer, compared to wines fermented with standard yeast (such as Prise de Mousse).

When fermented at low temperatures (below 16°C) and with the right addition of nutrients V1116's esters bring fresh floral aromas to neutral varieties or high-yield grapes. Among the high ester producers, V1116 (K1) is the most resistant to difficult fermentation conditions, such as low turbidity, low temperature and low fatty acid content. 

Recommended Styles: White Wines, Rosé, Ice Wine, Basic Red Wines, Sparkling Wines

Yeast Lalvin 71B

Known for fermenting fruity rosé wines and semi-sweet whites, Lalvin 71B was isolated by the INRA (National Agricultural Research Institute) in Narbonne, France. 

Lalvin 71B is known for making blush and semi-sweet wines with a tropical fruit character. Long-lived aromas are due to its production of relatively stable esters and higher alcohols.

Lalvin 71B also softens high acid musts by partially metabolizing malic acid.

Recommended Styles: White Wine, Rosé

Yeast Lalvin ICV D254

Lalvin ICV-D254®: For mouthfeel in Mediterranean-style reds

In red wines, Lalvin ICV-D254 promises high fore-mouth volume, big mid-palate mouthfeel, intense fruit concentration, smooth tannins and a mildly spicy finish.

Red wines made with Lalvin ICV-D254 may be blended with Lalvin ICV-D80 or Lalvin ICV-D21 to create more concentrated, full bodied wines. In unripe reds, ferment 25-50% of the lot with Lalvin ICV-D254 and the balance with Lalvin ICV-GRE to help mask vegetative character.

As a complement to Lalvin Bourgoblanc CY3079, winemakers in North America use Lalvin ICV-D254 for fermenting Chardonnay with nutty aromas and creamy mouthfeel.

Recommended Styles: Mediterranean Style Reds, White Wines, Chardonnay, Wines for Blending

Yeast Lalvin CY3079 

Lalvin CY3079 (Bourgoblanc)® For classic white Burgundy. It is recommended for barrel-fermented Chardonnay and sur lie aging.

CY3079 is a steady, average fermenter, especially at cold temperatures (13°C). Its fermentation finish is slow due to an early autolysis resulting in roundness. 

When properly fed, CY3079 has good alcohol tolerance (up to 15%) and is a low producer of VA and sulfides. Chardonnays produced with this yeast have rich, full mouthfeel and are characterized by aromas of fresh butter, almond, honey, white flowers and pineapple.

Recommended Styles: White Bordeaux Wines, Chardonnay

Yeast Lalvin ICV D80

Lalvin ICV-D80®: To enhance tannin structure

Lalvin ICV-D80 was isolated by Dominique Delteil of the ICV in 1992 from the Côte Rôtie area of the Rhône Valley for its ability to ferment musts high in sugar and polyphenols.

Lalvin ICV-D80 brings high fore-mouth volume, big mid-palate mouthfeel and intense fine grain tannin to reds. It is one of the best yeast for contributing big tannin volume and is characterized by ripe fruit, smoke and a licorice finish. When blended with wines fermented with Lalvin ICV-D254 or Syrah, wines fermented with Lalvin ICV-D80 bring more tannin intensity to the blend.

Recommended Styles: Highly Tannic Red Wines