Lilac - good wine gone bad (or at least not good)

I have 2 gal of lilac made according to Keller's Lilac (2) recipe.

Started 5/4/13. Red Star Champagne yeast. OG 1.082, fermented dry. Showed no sign of clearing on it's own but cleared beautifully with SuperKleer. pH 3.19 now. I didn't bother measuring the TA because the pH is already pretty low.

This wine is pretty disappointing. No lilac smell that I can detect at all (no difference before and after the SuperKleer by the way). It is not sharp, kind of thin, and just very, very faintly bitter. I'm no supertaster, but it really doesn't taste like much of anything to me.

I realize it may improve with age, but does lilac "do the dandelion?" Meaning, could I expect dramatic improvement in coming months?

Does backsweetening improve lilac wine?

Other suggestions?

[I realize it may improve with age, but does lilac "do the dandelion?" Meaning, could I expect dramatic improvement in coming months?

Does backsweetening improve lilac wine?

Other suggestions?[/QUOTE]

Can't really help youmuch with the rest, but most wines improve as they get older.

As for backsweetening, draw a glass, add a little sugar. Taste, add a little more. Taste. Now you can tell us if backsweetening is going to help or not. Remember this will most likely get better as it ages. Mite wait another 6 months and try the sweetening thing again. then try again after a year. Arne.

Thanks Arne. That is what I shall do.

Let me know how this goes: I started a Lilac Mead in the spring of this year. So far I mostly forget about it unless there is some sediment to rack it off of. Last time I tasted it. it had a faint 'ivory' taste (not the soap). Very interesting.

the_rayway said:

Let me know how this goes: I started a Lilac Mead in the spring of this year. So far I mostly forget about it unless there is some sediment to rack it off of. Last time I tasted it. it had a faint 'ivory' taste (not the soap). Very interesting.

Click to expand...

What do you mean by "ivory" taste?

Umm, the best I can explain is a smooth, slightly musty (not in a bad way), and sort of like the smell of a soapstone carving all wrapped up in a taste.

Helpful at all? I'm not sure how else to describe it.

Hah! I racked this mead today and can give you positive feedback

It's changed a lot in 3 months - it now has a definite lilac taste. Not over powering, but nice and smooth. I can taste the honey a bit now too.

I'm very happy with how this is starting to come together. It feels right now like it it will turn out similar to a Gewurztraminer when it's finished. I'm attaching a picture of how it looks in the glass.

Interesting. Mine has a different color, almost a peach color in the carboy.

Mine's close to peach in the carboy too - at first I thought it had gotten oxidized. I want to figure out how to make a blue/purple colour to this one - I've heard of someone using batchelor's button to get it.