spices in wine

[intoxicating]

I added mulling spices to one gallon of my Castel de Pape, and now I am wondering if I need to blend it with some un-spiced wine or just sweeten and age it.

The cloves and ginger are a bit overpowering, the black pepper, cardamom, bay leave and other spices are adding a sophisticated complexity.

Anyone know if the spices will mellow or intensify? Something in the spices makes the alcohol taste stronger than it did before I spiced it. I expect that will mellow back out, buy don't know about the spice.

A while back, I added rose essence to chardonnay "to taste" at bottling. It tasted like after-shave after six months.

I put a half cup of the rose chardonnay into a half gallon of big red, and it was again subtle at bottling, and a month later the rose is getting oppressive. It doesn't taste like cologne yet, but you can't get your nose in the glass for all the roses.

Any one with experience with either of these situations?

 

[Big Ike]

I'm sorry, I have no experience with this, but I have to ask how you came up with the ratio of spices to wine?

Thanks,

 

[intoxicating]

I started with a single batch recipe for Garam Masala spice mix. I simmered it in a little water and added it to the wine, tasting it every day till it seemed right. I racked it off the spices and added some match stick cut fresh ginger and cracked coriander seeds. As I tasted it to see when to take out the ginger, the clove and cinnamon kept getting stronger.

 

[vcasey]

I would not mix it with the rest of your wine. You may want to try and mix a small amount to a glass of unspiced wine and see what happens. You could even try warming some up and see if that changes the taste.
VC

 

[pelican]

I think it will mellow. I made a Ginger Green Tea Chai wine last winter and the ginger was really strong and biting but I found through some bench trials at bottling that the sweet did help balance the strong spices. (and the alcohol, this one had syrup dosing along the way... the whole thing was an experiment to begin with and became a study in wine-rescue but turned out well in the end.)

Starting at about 6 months in the bottle it had mellowed in that
bite the ginger gave it and although perhaps a bit medicinal I quite like it and am looking forward to a nice warm glass of spiced chai wine this winter.... which feels like it's starting tonight Brrrrrrr.

Warming the wine, and sweetening (maybe do both at serving and adjust to taste) may very well help.

 

[intoxicating]

That is kind of what I expected, but I wondered if it would need two or three years. Glad to hear that it mellowed so quickly. (Six months is quickly in "wine years".) I plan to sweeten it a tiny bit at bottling, maybe using honey, and sip it like brandy, at (21st century) room temp at bedtime. Thanks for your input.