Can/Malbec blend smells funny

[Rocco]

I can't place it. It's not rotten egg. It just smells weird. I don't know if it's vegetable. No idea. Brett? I need help. Can I get rid of this? Who can I go to to tell me what this smell is?

 

[wineinmd]

Can you provide a little more info? When did you start the wine? Kit/juice/grapes? Yeast used? Temperature fermented?

 

[wineinmd]

Here is a page that talks about some wine faults and associated smells. Do any of these describe your smell?

I know this link is from a brewing book, but it lists other flavor descriptors that might help narrow it down.

 

[JohnT]

I have found that malbec has a weird, characteristic smell right after fermentation. This fades over time.

 

[Rocco]

Can you provide a little more info? When did you start the wine? Kit/juice/grapes? Yeast used? Temperature fermented?

Grapes. Chilean. Cab sav 50% malbec 50%. D254. Fermented over 9 days. Highest temp was 73. Go ferm and ferm k per morewinemaking recs. pressed. Racked off gross lees 72 hours later, smelled fine. Added oak and vp41. Now smells funny 2 weeks later.

 

[Rocco]

I have found that malbec has a weird, characteristic smell right after fermentation. This fades over time.

Can you describe it? Could be it but I don't recall it when pressing.

 

[Rocco]

maybe I just rack it to make sure no gross lees and dose w reduless? That couldn't hurt right?

 

[JohnT]

Can you describe it? Could be it but I don't recall it when pressing.

Hard to describe.... kind of musky/herbal?????

 

[Rocco]

Hard to describe.... kind of musky/herbal?????

I think that's it. What do I do?

 

[JohnT]

Filter is one thing. Then just wait. I would bulk age for a year or so.

 

[stickman]

Given that you said it smelled fine, and now two weeks into ML it smells "funny", I suspect the wine is going a bit reductive. I would stir, wait 24hrs and then rack off the lees and transfer the oak into the clean vessel. This will remove the heavy lees and allow the bacteria and the light lees to be carried over for ML completion.

 

[Peter1]

Sounds like you just recently started MLF. I have found that MLF sometimes produces "off" aromas - almost like sauerkraut. This is normal and will dissipate once MLF is complete and the wine is racked. I personally would not rack the wine now, but wait to do so when malo completes in a few weeks.