Mosti Mondiale Meglioli Barolo

[Mharris335]

I started this kit in Oct 2009 and I just bottled last weekend. I thought this wine was great one month ago, but it shut down last weekend. Has anyone tasted this kit at the 6 month mark and was it shut down? I am just wanting to make sure I did not do something wrong. I know wine does this all the time. Thanks.

 

[pracz]

It might be because I am new to this but what do you mean by "shut down"? Can you give a little more info?

 

[robie]

Last weekend when you bottled it, did you taste it BEFORE you bottled it or AFTER? If after it could be bottle shock.
Did you rack it just before you tasted it?

If it was good a month ago and you haven't done anything to drastically affect it in the last month, you are probably OK. I read that there are cycles or phases during aging, so maybe you tasted it at a critical juncture as it was changing.

 

[Mharris335]

Shut Down to me means the wine does not taste or smell. I have seen commercial wine do the same thing from time to time. The Barolo was great with smell and taste the first six months. I know its green and way to young to be good, but I still got hugh fruit taste and smell. But when bottled it had nothing.

 

[grapeman]

Hey, this is pretty normal for kits. A lot of them will shut down for almost a year. That's why we say that it will improve after a year. One way to counter it or at least help is to employ a decanter. This will help it open back up. At least an hour is generally necessary. Jim Cook has another approach. He may try a glass of it one night and either refrigerate it or leave on the counter for another couple days before trying it again. This helps to let the wine come back around and open back up.

 

[JimCook]

That's absolutely right, Appleman. I just stick the bottles on the countertop with the cork stuck partially back in them and let time and oxygen do it's thing. For instance, I had a partial bottle of the MM AJ Pinot Noir that I bottled last Wednesday that I've been tasting little bits from since about two days afterwards. Last night (day 7), it decided to wake up and was really nice.


I've done this to get a feel for how long young and very young wines may need to really show me what they've got stored in them and when I didn't know how much decanting time might be needed. It also helps keep my cat from getting a straw out and sampling some of the wine from the decanter when I'm not around.

I do store whites in the fridge when doing this, for reference.


- Jim

 

[Mharris335]

Good to know. I thought everything was ok, but just wanted to make sure. I do decant most my red kit wines for an hour or so. It does really help even the ones that are two years old. I have never seen one shut down all the way before. Thanks for the info.

 

[Wade E]

I had a bottle of this wine from a great member here and can say just give it time and you will be amazed at hw good this wine can get. If you are not happy with it I will drive up there myself and take them from you free of charge!

 

[IQwine]

What a guy ..... that wade. Willing to sacrifice himself for the good of others

 

[v1rotate]

I've done this to get a feel for how long young and very young wines may need to really show me what they've got stored in them and when I didn't know how much decanting time might be needed.

This is a fascinating concept, Jim. Do you think the number of days it took for the wine to open up would also relate to how much further aging is going to be needed for that batch of wine to reach its full potential?

 

[JimCook]

Jim,


Yes, to a large degree I do. However, I can't tell you a translation factor that would convert days at half-bottle status to months in the bottle.


These kits we make are around 30 bottles - take one of the wines and try it for the purpose of the experiment and you very well may be surprised with the results. I know that I was.


- Jim

 

[v1rotate]

Jim,


Yes, to a large degree I do. However, I can't tell you a translation factor that would convert days at half-bottle status to months in the bottle.


These kits we make are around 30 bottles - take one of the wines and try it for the purpose of the experiment and you very well may be surprised with the results. I know that I was.


- Jim

Sounds like a great idea and a rewarding experience! I'll report back in a year or so.

 

[uavwmn]

Appleman, great advice!!! I used to open a bottle at the 6 month mark but they all taste "green". So, my rule of thumb is don't open a bottle until the 1 yr mark. Seems to work for me and the ones have tasted wonderful.

 

[Mharris335]

An update on this wine kit! Wow, wow, wow! Just had a bottle last night with dinner. Had it open for an hour or so, before I tasted. It is really starting to be a great wine. It's about 11 months old now. It has huge fruit, but it still makes your lips pucker a little. Needs more time in the bottle, but this one will be great.

 

[rrussell]

Mharris335, did you do any modifications on this kit or did you follow the instructions to the letter. I will be starting this kit this fall. Thanks, Ron.

 

[uavwmn]

Jim, have you or anyone here used a wine aerator?? What are your thoughts on them??

 

[JimCook]

Uavwmn,


I have used the Vinturi wine aerator. What I've noticed is as follows...


If you have two glasses of the same wine that have just been poured, the Vinturi glass will express more nose and seem more 'opened up' than the non-aerated glass. The more time that passes, however, the more the two glasses will end upbalancing themselves out to equal. I've noticed this balancing time to be as short as a few minutes in some cases.


To me, nothing can replace time in a glass (or partially-filled bottle). The Vinturi will not give me the same effect as repeated swirling over the course of time. However, I use the Vinturi when pouring out red wines for a blind tasting where people are going to be tasting the wines right away and side-by-side. The thought there is that by the time the wines aerate themselves naturally through swirling, the Vinturi will help a bit.


When I'm consuming wine for my own benefit and enjoyment, I do not use the Vinturi as then I'm much more interested in how the wine changes over time and with air exposure that I enjoy the first impressions as a sort of bookmark in my mind.


- Jim

 

[uavwmn]

Thanks, Jim. Makes alot of sense and I appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Goodfella]

Yeah.... Many of the tasting rooms in Napa use them for the same reasons Jim mentioned.

 

[JimCook]

If I were selling wines, especially a red wine that would normally need some glass time to shine, I would absolutely use the aerator. It's a fantastic sales tool.


- Jim