Chardonnay

[geek]

Well, that one I made from grapes over 3 months ago has been racked and kmeta added.
At 2 months the MLF results were still showing like half way done and not moving, so left an extra month with a total of 3 months with Wyeast 4007 MLB.
Results from a month ago at this last page o my other thread:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49080&page=5


Color is nice, golden, both batches (one oak barrel fermented and the other not) taste very similar. I cannot really taste oak in either.
Very dry in taste and think the acid is right where it should be.

Taste reveals that they still have some malo but I think or their young age they taste very good.
I thought about adding a medium toast oak spiral I have let to one batch to see if flavor changes. Thoughts?

Time will tell, thinking about leaving in bulk storage for a few more months, maybe close to December, and then bottle. Thoughts on this?

This was my very first own made Chardonnay.

 

[geek]

Couple of pictures, need to top off a bit the Italian 6gal carboy.
The oak barrel fermented in the smaller 5gal carboy, honestly the color is really close...!!

 

[seth8530]

Looks like chardonnay to me, I got myself 12 gallons that I need to work up the nerve to bottle one of these days.

 

[joeswine]

forget the head space with the all in one pump and the head space eliminator the problem is gone ,really..

 

[ibglowin]

Varis,

The oaked one looks darker to me in all pics! Don't sweat it if malo didn't finish. Many Chards are actually being blended this way to help please those that like butter and those that don't. Just make sure to sulfite well before bottling and you should be good to go. Also if you add more oak just be aware that it (oak) will push out the drinking timeframe by as much as 6-9 months. The oak will make it taste a bit more tannic and or harsh and it will need more time to settle down. It will be good in the end but it will take more time.

 

[geek]

Thanks Mike, good advise..

 

[geek]

Thanks Joe, I thought about it too, but it may be ok for now as it is only less than 2 inches from the bung anyways.
I may also buy a bottle of Chard and top off if needed.

I have Steve's new head space remover toy in mind, will buy soon anyway.

 

[JohnT]

Geek,

They look pretty topped off to me. Considering that it is chardonnay from grapes, and given the typical level of tannins, a little headspace (like the amount you show) is nothing to worry about.

Chardonnay is a curious duck. It is a white wine that has a very strong tannic structure. Chardonnays age very well and is one of the few whites that does well with barrel ageing.

I agree with Glowin. You do not want to over oak a chardonnay, especially if you do not plan on ageing for a number of years. I have had some chardonnays that took 3 years before they soften.

If you plan to age for a while (and I suggest a min of 1 year before you bottle), I do not believe that degassing is an issue. You may want to consider filtering at some point. Chardonnay really gleams with a good filtering.

 

[geek]

One thing I don't understand is how come both batches taste almost the same.
One batch, the 5gal, was oak barrel fermented in a new 23L Vadai barrel.

I will taste again down the road and see where they are.

 

[ibglowin]

You were only in the barrel for how long? 5-7 days? Let it settle a bit, then re-taste and decide if you want more oak on one. I split my last batch of Chardonnay. 3 gallons were "naked" and 3 gallons were oaked with only 1.5 oz of lite toast hungarian oak for 3 months. Big difference in the flavor profile of the oaked Chard.

 

[geek]

More like 11 days, slow ferment in cool temp basement, but it was a new barrel so I thought it would get lots of oak profile.

Yeah, I will check again in a couple months and see where I am.

 

[JohnT]

I agree with glowin. You have not had nearly the amount of time for proper oaking. For a 5 gal barrel, My rule of thumb is around 5 weeks for clear wine (give or take).

Also, you were fermenting, so there most likely was sediment that acted as a barrier between the oak and the wine (thus further limiting exposure). Some swear by barrel fermentation, but I prefer to wait until the wine fully ferments and clears before I go to the cask.