Cloudy wine (WE SL Merlot)

So, this wine of mine is about 1 year old. I opened up a bottle to top off a carboy that is currently bulk aging. I like smokey and oaky wine but this oak is just overpowering. I hope another 6 months to a year more of age will calm the oak and let it fall back... I have a larger concern that I have not encountered yet until now. The wine was quite cloudy. I can only assume that every bottle is suffering this cloudy disaster. I am thinking I will open all bottles, dump them into a carboy, add some kmeta & sparkolloid and allowed time to clear. Anybody agree? Have any better ideas? Thanks in advance! Cheers!

I had to do that with a WE GSM a year or so ago. It turned cloudy and had an awfully oxidized taste to it that wasn't present at bottling. I emptied the bottles into a carboy and added some kms and Polyclar and planned to let it sit for a few weeks. However, after 2 days there was a thick, slimey residue that dropped out of the wine. The taste improved dramatically and, after about a week, I racked off the slime. A month later I racked again and found no further drop out so I bottled. The wine is delicious now. Don't have a clue what that crap was but it sure was nasty.

I would try a clearing agent and bring the kmeta up to proper levels. You may be surprised at the results.

Yeah, I think I'll be doing that... Glad to hear you had good results. Really is a bummer to go through that hassle but I don't have much of a choice. Don't think I have an empty 5 gallon carboy available. Guess it's time to get another...

You guys aren't bulk aging long enough number 1 it will clear on its own number 2 all the flavores will integrate better number 3 it will degas on its own number 4 you won't need to open a full bottle to check progress sorry you had to learn the hard way. I know you went by the directions but just remember the sooner you bottle the sooner the manufacturer thinks you'll buy another kit, their in the selling business. I would add some sulphate to the wine immediatly after opening all bottles

scram said:

So, this wine of mine is about 1 year old. I opened up a bottle to top off a carboy that is currently bulk aging. I like smokey and oaky wine but this oak is just overpowering. I hope another 6 months to a year more of age will calm the oak and let it fall back... I have a larger concern that I have not encountered yet until now. The wine was quite cloudy. I can only assume that every bottle is suffering this cloudy disaster. I am thinking I will open all bottles, dump them into a carboy, add some kmeta & sparkolloid and allowed time to clear. Anybody agree? Have any better ideas? Thanks in advance! Cheers!

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That is a logical way to go about it. It may be gas. I had one batch that I didn't degas enough and I bottled it; it was clear in the carboy but not in the bottle. Be sure to splash it around when you pour the bottles, and stir it up to degas.