Bulk aging

[BillZ]

I have 13 gallons of a 2011 Cabernet that has turned out really well. I purchased a few additional carboys this year and have the space to leave it in the carboy for a while longer. What are the benefits of bulk aging in a glass carboy rather than going ahead and bottling it?

Thanks

Bill

 

[Rocky]

Bill, can you tell us what the source of the juice was for this wine, i.e. grapes, juice buckets or kits? If it is from a kit, I would bottle it now. If it were from grapes or juice, you could continue to bulk age in carboys, but I think you may have reached the point of diminishing returns.

 

[JohnT]

I prefer to bulk age my wine for 2 years. I find that this gives the wine a longer period of time to degass naturally and also more time for the wine to clarify.

I think that the main reason, though, is to retard on the amount of the wine that is consumed up front. Let's face it, this is the toughest part of this hobby. Building a stock of wine that is 5 years old or more IS HARD!!!

 

[Rocky]

No, JohnT, it is not hard for me, it is impossible!

Bill, there are a lot of reasons to bulk age vs. bottle aging. The wine is less subject to temperature changes, if alterations are needed doing so in bulk is much easier, the resulting finished wine will be more consistent bottle to bottle and the wine will naturally clear even more and have spectacular clarity and color. The only caution that I was giving was if the wine was from a kit. I don't think I would keep a kit in bulk aging more than a year, but that is just me. Since you have a rather large batch, why not bulk age some for a longer period of time and bottle a modest amount to see if there is any difference/improvement.

 

[ffemt128]

I think that the main reason, though, is to retard on the amount of the wine that is consumed up front. Let's face it, this is the toughest part of this hobby. Building a stock of wine that is 5 years old or more IS HARD!!!

So true, once it hits the bottle, it seems that a try here and a try there occur more often. On that note, I try to bulk age a minium of 6-9 months, longer if I dont need the carboys. All my wine now is either from fresh fruits or juice buckets.

 

[wyntheef]

i believe i read in Pambianchi's book that the phenolic compounds have a longer period to string together.
fairly deep stuff for me, but here is a piece on phenolics.

Updated knowledge about the presence of phenolic compounds in wine.
Monagas M, Bartolomé B, Gómez-Cordovés C.
Source
Instituto de Fermentaciones Industriales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
Phenolic compounds are partly responsible for the color, astringency, and bitterness of wine, as well as for numerous physiological properties associated with wine consumption. Mass spectrometry has allowed for great progress in the identification and characterization of wine polyphenols. The aim of the present article is to summarize the numerous advances recently achieved in this field. The main type of phenolic compounds found in wine, including hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, stilbenes, flavones, flavonols, flavanonols, flavanols, and anthocyanins, are firstly described. Chemical reactions and mechanisms involving phenolic compounds during winemaking are also extensively discussed, including enzymatic and chemical oxidation reactions, direct and acetaldehyde-mediated anthocyanin-tannin condensation reactions, acetaldehydemediated and glyoxylic acid-mediated tannin-tannin condensation reactions and, C-4/C-5 anthocyanin cycloaddition reactions with 4-vinylphenols, vinylflavanols and pyruvic acid, among others, leading to the formation of pyranoanthocyanins. Useful mass spectral data of well-known and novel phenolic compounds recently identified in wine, and details related to their fragmentation pathway according to different ionization techniques, are given.

 

[Rocky]

OMG, I just had a flashback to Chemistry class!

 

[robie]

i believe i read in Pambianchi's book that the phenolic compounds have a longer period to string together.
fairly deep stuff for me, but here is a piece on phenolics.

Updated knowledge about the presence of phenolic compounds in wine.
Monagas M, Bartolomé B, Gómez-Cordovés C.
Source
Instituto de Fermentaciones Industriales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
Phenolic compounds are partly responsible for the color, astringency, and bitterness of wine, as well as for numerous physiological properties associated with wine consumption. Mass spectrometry has allowed for great progress in the identification and characterization of wine polyphenols. The aim of the present article is to summarize the numerous advances recently achieved in this field. The main type of phenolic compounds found in wine, including hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, stilbenes, flavones, flavonols, flavanonols, flavanols, and anthocyanins, are firstly described. Chemical reactions and mechanisms involving phenolic compounds during winemaking are also extensively discussed, including enzymatic and chemical oxidation reactions, direct and acetaldehyde-mediated anthocyanin-tannin condensation reactions, acetaldehydemediated and glyoxylic acid-mediated tannin-tannin condensation reactions and, C-4/C-5 anthocyanin cycloaddition reactions with 4-vinylphenols, vinylflavanols and pyruvic acid, among others, leading to the formation of pyranoanthocyanins. Useful mass spectral data of well-known and novel phenolic compounds recently identified in wine, and details related to their fragmentation pathway according to different ionization techniques, are given.

These things will take place in the bottle as well as in bulk storage. However, the smaller the aging container the slightly faster it takes place.

 

[BillZ]

The cab is from 200lbs of grapes I got from Amador County here in California. I think I will wait until the beginning of next year and then look at bottling 1/2 as Rocky suggested and then wait until this time next year for the rest.

The trick to building up a supply of older vintages is to make more than you can drink! It also helps to hide it from yourself.

Thanks

Bill

 

[altavino]

make sure your so2 levels are right , or bulk aging isn't a good idea

 

[Lurker]

I have finally reached that point where all of my wines (all from juice) are bulk aged at least 2 years. My only reason is that I don't have space for all those bottles. I was getting to like Robie but now you have broken the bubble.

 

[ldmack3]

While the quality isn't the same I make some cheap kits to have something to drink sooner. Keeps me out of the good stuff. Well... ok it helps

 

[robie]

I have finally reached that point where all of my wines (all from juice) are bulk aged at least 2 years. My only reason is that I don't have space for all those bottles. I was getting to like Robie but now you have broken the bubble.

Ha! Space for bottles is a big issue for me, too. I seldom bulk age LESS than 18 months. Some of that is because I hate to bottle. Some is because I like to tweak a wine, like a Chardonnay, over time. Sometimes, I may keep a Chardonnay in the carboy for 10 to 12 months. It is pretty amazing what can be done to a wine until it is bottled.