This is a topic from another topic. Let’s talk about
oxidation, flavor, and time. I have recently ruined two of my batches of wine.
I have noticed the phenomenon in a few other smaller bottles, but never with
whole batches.
In the previous times, I’ve racked to a smaller container, I
had a bottle or two leftover that wouldn’t fit, so I put them into 750ml
bottles. I would treat the rest of the batch as normal, but would just begin
storage of the single bottles. Well the big portion of the batch (in the carboy)
came out just fine, whereas the single bottles always came out with a
‘chocolate flavor’. It was not a good flavor.
I have come to the realization that the chocolate flavor was
from the lees still in the wine. Not that it didn’t appear clear, but wasn’t as
clear as it should have been. The amount of lees compared to the ratio of wine
in the single bottles was much higher than the carboy (which ended up getting
racked off, then bottled).
I finally found this has happened to two of my whole
batches. I allowed a little bit of air space in the top and bulk aged them too
long without racking. In one case the wine has a strong ‘chocolate’ flavor.
When I say chocolate, I don’t mean in a good way either. I mean in a
something’s wrong with this wine, it has an off flavor.
The other batch that has this problem is one that I put into my 5 gallon oak
barrel. Well, I wasn’t diligent and stopped paying attention to it for about 9
months. When I returned to rack and bottle the wine out of the barrel I found
about 1 gallon had evaporated. When I tasted the wine, it was HEAVILY oaked and
had a chocolate flavor to it. Not as much as the other batch, but still enough
to make it undesirable, especially to a wine drinker. I’ve given a few tastes
to others who do not drink wine, and they do not taste it until I point it out.
So what I’ve found is by not racking wine every few months
when bulk aging (if there is ANY sediment) and by not paying attention to
evaporation, I have ruined over $300 worth of wine. Not to mention the wines
are both already over a year old (something else that has taken me a long time
to be able to do.)
So I have 60 bottles of wine that is un-enjoyable,
expensive, and a disappointing. Needless to say, I will learn from these
mistakes.
So I’m curious of a few things. Has anyone else ever had
this happen to wine? If so, how would you describe the taste? Was yours from
too much headspace, or not racking off the lees enough? Anyone ever let it age
for years, what happens to it?
oxidation, flavor, and time. I have recently ruined two of my batches of wine.
I have noticed the phenomenon in a few other smaller bottles, but never with
whole batches.
In the previous times, I’ve racked to a smaller container, I
had a bottle or two leftover that wouldn’t fit, so I put them into 750ml
bottles. I would treat the rest of the batch as normal, but would just begin
storage of the single bottles. Well the big portion of the batch (in the carboy)
came out just fine, whereas the single bottles always came out with a
‘chocolate flavor’. It was not a good flavor.
I have come to the realization that the chocolate flavor was
from the lees still in the wine. Not that it didn’t appear clear, but wasn’t as
clear as it should have been. The amount of lees compared to the ratio of wine
in the single bottles was much higher than the carboy (which ended up getting
racked off, then bottled).
I finally found this has happened to two of my whole
batches. I allowed a little bit of air space in the top and bulk aged them too
long without racking. In one case the wine has a strong ‘chocolate’ flavor.
When I say chocolate, I don’t mean in a good way either. I mean in a
something’s wrong with this wine, it has an off flavor.
The other batch that has this problem is one that I put into my 5 gallon oak
barrel. Well, I wasn’t diligent and stopped paying attention to it for about 9
months. When I returned to rack and bottle the wine out of the barrel I found
about 1 gallon had evaporated. When I tasted the wine, it was HEAVILY oaked and
had a chocolate flavor to it. Not as much as the other batch, but still enough
to make it undesirable, especially to a wine drinker. I’ve given a few tastes
to others who do not drink wine, and they do not taste it until I point it out.
So what I’ve found is by not racking wine every few months
when bulk aging (if there is ANY sediment) and by not paying attention to
evaporation, I have ruined over $300 worth of wine. Not to mention the wines
are both already over a year old (something else that has taken me a long time
to be able to do.)
So I have 60 bottles of wine that is un-enjoyable,
expensive, and a disappointing. Needless to say, I will learn from these
mistakes.
So I’m curious of a few things. Has anyone else ever had
this happen to wine? If so, how would you describe the taste? Was yours from
too much headspace, or not racking off the lees enough? Anyone ever let it age
for years, what happens to it?