D254
Big, ripe and mouth-filling, emphasising jammy fruit and softening tannin. The strain for a warm-climate red you want to drink young.
Alcohol tolerance
16%
10% - 16%
Temperature
18-30 C
18C - 30C
Highest must it will finish
28 Brix
about 1.119, giving 15.3 to 16.7% if it went all the way
Nitrogen demand
High
Will make hydrogen sulphide if it runs short. Feed it before it complains.
Sold as
Lalvin ICV D254
An affiliate search link, scoped to this strain rather than to a guessed listing.
Where it belongs
- Zinfandel
- Syrah
- Petite Sirah
Pitching it
Rehydrate properly rather than sprinkling dry yeast on cold must, and plan the nutrient before you pitch: staged additions over the first third of the fermentation, not one dose at the start.
Other red strains
RC 212
14%The Burgundy strain: emphasises red fruit and preserves the delicate colour of thin-skinned varieties. Hungry, and it will make hydrogen sulphide if you do not feed it.
BM 4x4
16%A blend of two strains that builds mouthfeel and polysaccharide body, so the wine feels rounder without any extra tannin.
D80
16%Builds structure and length rather than fruit, and holds colour well through a long maceration. A strain for wines meant to age.
Cabernet CS2
16%Selected from Bordeaux for Cabernet: emphasises blackcurrant and cedar, and integrates hard tannin better than most.
Syrah Rhone 2226
16%A Rhone isolate that emphasises pepper, dark fruit and a soft finish, and copes with a hot ferment better than most.