Carmenere Wine Kit - Master Vintner® Winemaker's Reserve®

Given the credentials of Tim Vandergrift, I expected better. I have been making wine from kits for over 20 years and have made wine from every brand that has come along, winning awards with many. This is my first Master Vintner kit and based on the unboxing and instructions, it isn't up to par with the competition. I am not a beginner so the quality of the instructions isn't as important to me, however they do indicate how much effort is being put into presenting a quality product. In this case, the instructions are sub-par at best. They are vague and short and printed on cheap paper that you can see through. I am writing this review on day 3 of fermentation and it is the slowest starting kit I have ever made. I am accustomed to vigorous fermentation at this point but I have one bubble every 20 seconds. Not sure if the juice is lacking mineral content or if the yeast is old, or what. The kit includes a yeast nutrient pack that is supposed to be added when sg is 1.04, but I may go ahead and add it early for a boost. Bottom line is that, so far, I am left with a mediocre impression of the effort put into the Master Vintner product. The quality of the finished wine will determine if I ever bother with this afterthought of a premium wine kit.