Wine Taste

[Flafemina]

I have been making wine from grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon - Pinot Noir mix). It had been bulk aging for 4.5 months however there was some left over after I switched from a 6 gal to 5 gal carboy so I put the remaining in bottles. I opened everything today to taste and the wine in the bottles taste great smooth finish. The wine in the 5 gal has a sour after taste. Any reason why this could be?

 

[Julie]

the wine in the bottles would have aged faster than the wine in a 5 gallon carboy. you just got a taste of what your 5g will taste like.

 

[TonyP]

the wine in the bottles would have aged faster than the wine in a 5 gallon carboy. you just got a taste of what your 5g will taste like.

Why didn't I think of that?

 

[Julie]

Why didn't I think of that?

Because bulk aging in the 5 g will give you a conisist flavor in all bottles!!!!! And you know that,

 

[Flafemina]

Thank you. That's good news. How long do you recommend bulk aging for before I bottle?

 

[ShawnDTurner]

I bulk age all of my Reds for at least a year. Usually I age about 15 - 18 months. Cheers

 

[knockabout]

sooo if wine in the bottles ages faster why do we bulk age at all?
(yep im a newbie -thanks for your information and patience )

 

[JohnT]

sooo if wine in the bottles ages faster why do we bulk age at all?
(yep im a newbie -thanks for your information and patience )

Bulk aging allows you to perform rackings to remove sediment before you bottle. At only 4-5 months, a lot of sediment can form as it ages.

 

[g8keeper]

i feel another reason is get get a more homogenous consistency throughout the entire batch, as it will all age in the exact same environment, whereas each bottle becomes it's own mico-environment....because of this, each bottle possibly runs the risk of aging a little differently and developing characteristics differently and at different rates, thereby one bottle may taste at least slightly different from the next...

 

[TonyP]

sooo if wine in the bottles ages faster why do we bulk age at all?
(yep im a newbie -thanks for your information and patience )

There's several reasons, but keep in mind wine making is not a race. (The goal for me is the best wine I can make, not how quickly I can finish.) Bulk aging allows the wine to age more gracefully, with less influence from environmental factors. It also permits the wine maker to make changes or correct problems as things go along. For example, after 6 months you may feel you'd like to add some oak or something else.

 

[knockabout]

your thoughtful answers are much appreciated thanks! As being 95% hedonist I hate to wait, but am prepared to do so for some good wine.

 

[robie]

Right, it's not a race.
Julie is right. The smaller the container, the faster the aging time.

One might find some exceptions, but the longer the aging time can be extended, the better the results. In other words, even though it will takeless time to mature, wine from a batch aged at 70F until it peaks is just not going to be as good as a wine from the same batch aged to peak at 55F. The longer one can extend the time to that peak, the better the results. That's one eason why some French Chardonnay wine makers add stems during fermentation. The extra tannins makes the wine almost undrinkable early on, but because the tannins help protect the wine over a much longer time, it can age longer before it peaks. The wine will eventually be the best it can possibly be.

Magical things happen to the wine over time. Most anything you do to speed that up will result is something a little less. Admittedly, in some circumstances, it might take an expert to tell the difference.

 

[robie]

Just to add to what I said previously, one can do a little trick to get a better idea how a wine is going to turn out after it matures.

Fill a plastic watter bottle 3/4 full of the wine and freeze it. Let it stay frozen for a couple weeks.

Thaw the wine at room temperature, without any added heat. Once at room temperature, it will taste very much like it will, had it been allowed to mature at a nice temperature.

The difference is, no matter what, it really won't be as good. This freezing process tends to take the middle, extended taste out of the wine.

Nice thing, though, it you like the results, since it is going to be even better if matured slowly, you have a lot to look forward to in the future.