Saccharomyces Bayanus Very good all round strain, best choice for high alcohol and fortified wines but also excellent for most country wines, sweet sparkling wines and ciders.
If you only had one wine yeast strain, this would be the strain because whilst being relatively neutral in character SN9 does introduce excellent weight and structure no matter the must or fruit and produces a congener profile that always compliments the wine.
SN9 is particularly good when fermenting flower or low fruit recipes which often lack vinosity, weight and depth.
SN9 is another strain noted for its robustness, being able to ferment to 18% abv. ethanol, tolerate high free SO2 and high levels of other stress factors such as organic acids, incorrect temperature and pH. But unlike CL23, SN9 adds weight and high glycerol production making the strain perfect for high alcohol sweet wines or where uncertain recipes are employed and fermentation reliability is a key factor or where low temperature fermentation down to 10OC (50OF) is required.
This strain is fermentation friendly in that it produces zero foam, starts fermenting rapidly so avoids potential bacterial contamination and can be used to re-start stuck fermentations. SN9 is also the most osmotolerant and the fasting clearing of all Vintners Harvest strains.
SN9 is ideal for restarting stuck fermentations.