What does a green Pinot Grigio smell like?

[MamaJ]

We bottled a Village Vintner Pinot Grigio three months ago. I opened one tonight to check on it. It smelled almost offensive. I have to say - almost like baby poo. (We're all friends here, right?!)

This was my first kit. Did I not de-gas well? Didn't clean the bottle properly? Or this is what a green Pinot Grigio smells like?

It didn't taste bad, at all. (Yes, I drank it, even though it smelled like baby poo.)

And the smell seemed to get better after I left the bottle open for a while...

Kind of want to open another one, to see if maybe it was just this bottle, but kind of want to just wait another couple months. Any ideas?

Thanks again to everyone for the birthday wishes. Now, help me feel better about my stinky Pinot Grigio!

 

[AlFulchino]

fill us in on your step by step process

 

[ibglowin]

Soooo taste ok but smells bad? Can you describe the smell in more detail?

Perhaps a sulphur smell? Is the wine clear? If you shake an open bottle does it fizz like a coke?

Did you add just the packet of K-Meta that came with the kit when you stabilized and fined?

Any possibility you could have added too much K-Meta?

 

[MamaJ]

Here are the details from my log... this was my first kit, so I'm not sure I took the best notes.

3/12/2010 Village Vintner kit - Pinot Grigio - pitched yeast. Specific gravity 1.075 at 90 degrees.

3/19/2010 - Racked to 6 gallon glass carboy. Topped off with a very small amount of water. SG was under 1.02. Did not add oak.

3/23/10 - SG 1.005

3/27/10 - SG .095

4/2/10 - Racked to 6 gallon better bottle. Lots of sediment. Two brew belts on - 76 degrees at racking. Added Potassium Metabisulfite and Potassium Sorbate. Degassing period - mix stir.

4/3/10 - Added siligel and liquigel. No need to top up.

4/10/10 - Racked from carboy to primary. Filled bottles



So... I did not add anything that did not come from the kit. The wine is clear - a little bit of sediment toward the very end of the bottle. Didn't get any fizzing.

I wouldn't say the smell is sulphur/rotten eggs... but like a baby diaper. I hate to say it, but just like a smell of baby poo from a diaper. Urgh. I thought it tasted okay despite the smell, but my husband said he thought the taste was bad.

 

[AlFulchino]

starting sg is kind of low....how much is this kit supposed to make and how much h2o if any was added

sediment in teh bottle could contibute to smell

yous dates show about a 28/29 day start to finish..pretty fast in my book..i have primary ferments that often last 21-22 days or so...you stabilized in 21-22...not that this has to be an issue...just fast in my view..naybe that is what the instructioned told you to do

could be that the stabilizers affected the smell...not fully integrated in the wine

 

[MamaJ]

Yep, Al, this was a low-end kit.... 28 days is what the instructions said. I added water up to 6 gallons - for a 6 gallon kit. The starting SG was not noted in the instructions.

If it was the stabilizers causing the bad smell, is that something that will ease with age?

I didn't add oak chips that were included with the kit, because I don't like an oaky Pinot Grigio. Could that have been my mistake?

 

[ibglowin]

What was 90 degrees on 3/12? The yeast you pitched or your must? If that was the starting temp of the must its pretty high. Should have been in the 72-78 range.

I don't see where you racked off the gross lees? When you rack off the lees in a 6 gallon kit your going to lose quite a bit of volume but you don't mention topping off with a similar wine or anything?

3 months is about the very minimum for a white wine. 6 months is much better. 9-12 months even better. Also I believe Sorbate gives off a very distinctive flavor (and not a good one) but not one that I would describe as baby poo. More like Bubble Gum.

Green wine doesn't smell like baby poo. More like unripened fruit. You can tell the flavor is sorta there just not like it is fully developed or integrated. Its harsh and not smooth on the palette.

 

[AlFulchino]

i am in agreement that this one never got fully cooked....i dont like the whole idea that when water is added that a wine can be ready in a few days..i just dont see how its possible...the no oak compounds things as well in my view...back to the water thing...i dont trust any of my blends to be ready in less than sixty days before taste testing either....

lets chalk this one up to what Mike said...with some emphasis extra on time

Tepe is always saying patience patience patience and to that i would make a corollary...time time time

 

[MamaJ]

What was 90 degrees on 3/12? The yeast you pitched or your must? [/QUOTE

That was the must. First kit - I've figured out since then, don't use such warm water.

I don't see where you racked off the gross lees? When you rack off the lees in a 6 gallon kit your going to lose quite a bit of volume but you don't mention topping off with a similar wine or anything?

I racked it first on 3/19 and topped off with a small amount of water. Next rack was 4/2. My notes say "lots of sediment" but I don't mention topping off. On 4/3 I added siligel and liquigel and note "no need to top off."


I'll wait three months and taste this one again... Thanks for your insights, guys!

 

[MamaJ]

http://nbwines.blogspot.com/2008/09/chteau-lamothe-de-haut-premiere-cuvee.html




I was tickled to find this. Evidently someone felt that a 2004 Bordeaux had a similar bouquet.