One bottle of Chocolate wine, Problem?

[rshosted]

I made a borolo and it worked out fine. During making, I had a little bit extra wine that wouldn't fit in the carboy. I usually save two extra bottles for topping up. The carboy cleared very well, and didn't need both bottles for topping up (just one). So I bottled and decided to save the extra bottle that was being saved for topping up.

About six months later I tried the extra 'top up' bottle. It tasted strongly of chocolate. The rest of the wine tasted fine. The chocolate was too strong and I ended up pouring the 'top up' down the drain.

Since this is my first post, let me lead in by saying I am very (read: overly OCD) about sanitizing, so I really doubt that was an issue...

So, does anyone know why it would have such a differnt tast?

Does anyone think it could be because it did have the lees on the bottom of the bottle still? I was thinking maybe the lees caused the extra taste from being stuck with the extra grape skins in the bottle...???

Thanks in advance....

 

[Bert]

First welcome to the forum.


I not sure about your odd taste, but if youbottled the over run early in the process, you may had CO2 in the bottles. That can give you some odd tastes and smells.

 

[MedPretzel]

Does anyone think it could be because it did have the lees on the bottom of the bottle still? I was thinking maybe the lees caused the extra taste from being stuck with the extra grape skins in the bottle...???

I think it could be because of the lees. It sounds like that there was a lot of it. Just my 2 cents.

 

[PolishWineP]

Sure sounds like the lees played a roll in this. Each time you do something different you change the final product. When we rack from the primary fermenter to the carboy, if we have extra to use for top up we put it in a bottle with an air lock and then rack it back into the system when we next rack the carboy. After that, if we feel it is still, we will put a lid on or cork in it and use it for top up from there.

 

[rshosted]

It almost make me wonder if pulling a kit wine off the lees as soon as the directions tell you too may not be the best idea. It would seem there is a limit, but you could add a bit more complexity to a kit wine by giving it a little more time with the lees....???

Just a thought

In fact I just racked another kit that I am working on, and tasted the main carboy and the 'top up bottle' and they were very different. Same age, both clean, just separated at birth (so to speak). I guess this could raise a whole argument on 'genetics vs. environment' but no need to go there...

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

This is done often with some whites, especially chardonnays, but not on
the gross lees. After the first racking, the wine is left to bulk age
on the finer lees and they are stirred back into the wine periodically
- called "sur lies" aging. Hippie described doing this with one of his
muscatine batches early in the fall I think.



It is advisable to rack off the gross lees which have the most organic matter and can begin to decompose, tainting the wine.

 

[rshosted]

Good point. I was giong to bring this up in a different post, (maybe I will)...

But I was thinking of doing another 'Crushendo' kit (that comes with the skins of the grapes). It does seem to add complextivity to the finished product. My idea:

Buy to kits, a creshendo, then a normal kit. Then, leave the skins in and put the next kit in with them to add whatever tannins the skins have left (and use the same yeast that is already ready). Do you think this would have been 'decomposed' too much already, or a cheap way to get another 'creshendo' kit at a major discount?