longevity of wine with ph of 3.8 and SO2 of 50 ppm

[Huba Huba]

Tonight I bottled a FWK Super Tuscan that I started last January. Tasted and pulled a small sample for pH then got distracted, went back to it and bottled. After bottling I checked the pH and it is 3.8. I did add 1/4 tsp K Meta prior to bottling but now I am concerned that with a higher pH I under dosed. I will probably drink it within the next 18-24 months, but could be forced to drink it sooner .
How long before I have to worry about oxidation?

 

[cmason1957]

If you plan to drink within 24 months you shouldn't have any oxidation problems.

 

[ibglowin]

I have had many expensive bottles of wine from warm growing regions (CA & WA) with pH in the 3.8+ region that were still amazing after even 8 years. Those bottles were stored at 58F average temp for their entire life with me. So more important IMHO is not the pH but the storage temp you keep them at until you get around to drinking them.

 

[Ohio Bob]

So more important IMHO is not the pH but the storage temp you keep them at until you get around to drinking them.

Add tannin level as a third major variable.

 

[winemaker81]

I agree with all advice so far.

The amount of free SO2 matters only if it gets used up. Temperature and sunlight are your biggest short term dangers in the bottle, assuming the wine was fine when bottled. So ... store the wine the best you can and the free SO2 will last longer.

After that, normal chemical changes due to aging are the concern.

Is that a Forte kit? If so, the aging potential should be at least 5 years. Running out of free SO2 will mean the far side of the aging bell curve will be steeper. If you planned to age the wine 4+ years, you might have a problem. But as Craig said, if you're planning on using it up within 2 years, you should be fine.

However, keep in mind the overall prediction is a best guess. Mother Nature and Dionysus are well known for messing with mortals, so nothing is guaranteed. Good advice for any wine is to drink a bottle periodically, and if it seems to peak? Make it's consumption the priority before it declines.

 

[BarrelMonkey]

My 2021 pinot noir (made from fresh grapes) ended up at pH 3.80. I added SO2 to target 50ppm at bottling and it's still going strong. (Good thing, since I still have about 15 cases!)

I'm not sure how a kit would be different, but I imagine a 'Super Tuscan' blend will have robust tannins which will also help with longevity.

 

[Huba Huba]

This is better than I feared. I really don't have ideal storage, dark but a constant 70-72 degrees. It is a Forte kit, and as BarrelMonkey stated the tannins should be robust, but they are not prominent on tasting. I really like it, my wife said she gets a slight bitterness on the finish, I really don't get it even after she mentioned it. I may pull the corks on a dozen bottles and add another 1/2 dose of K Meta and set these aside

 

[winemaker81]

This is better than I feared. I really don't have ideal storage, dark but a constant 70-72 degrees. It is a Forte kit, and as BarrelMonkey stated the tannins should be robust, but they are not prominent on tasting. I really like it, my wife said she gets a slight bitterness on the finish, I really don't get it even after she mentioned it. I may pull the corks on a dozen bottles and add another 1/2 dose of K Meta and set these aside

You are overthinking this. Relax.

Your ability to taste tannin and the presence of tannins are not related. Forte kits are heavy duty. My 3 yo Super Tuscan is no where close to peaking.

Your wife's taste buds are better than yours. She can taste the tannins, even if you can't. This is your penance for having a Y chromosome. Trust her senses.

I'm being whimsical in this post. In all seriousness, your last bottle of this wine will go down the hatch long before the wine has a chance to peak.

 

[NorCal]

A good % of the wines (600-1000 bottles per year) I make fall into the 3.8 category. As others have said, tannin, alcohol%, cork, storage etc all play a factor on longevity. I have found year 3 (barrel for 18 months, drink within 18 months) is the peak. It is not that it falls off the face of the earth, but rather the fruitiness and freshness starts to fade.