After bottling

[Stevew1]

I make my wine from juice pails. Cab Sav, merlot, cab franc, etc. The wines are all good and I have received many positive comments. However I find they are a lot better the second day after the bottle had been opened. They were bottled after 11 months. Even store bought wines are a little better with a little air but mine are noticeably better with a lot of air. I am just looking for some thoughts on how to reduce the amount of improvement that comes after the bottle is opened.

 

[Julie]

Decanting always makes a wine better,never a great wine wil be better. i know ibglowin can give you a good scientific reasons to why. Me? I'm gonna tell you to let those wines age for at least 18 months.

 

[djrockinsteve]

My wife notices the same thing the day after the bottle is opened. It's probably getting rid of the K-Meta taste.

Julie's absolutely correct. Let those reds age. At 4 years you will be very pleased. Open a bottle every few months and you can see how it improves then begins to fade.

 

[Stevew1]

Thanks but most of my wine doesn't last anywhere near 4 years. I will hide a few away of this batch.

 

[JohnT]

Another good reason is that the O2 in the bottle reacts with the tannins in the wine and, in effect, cancel each other out. With the removal of tannins, the wine becomes less sharp, more mellow, and a little more complex.