When to bottle

[Dano]

I have some Cab and some Sauvignon Blanc aging in glass carboys. What would be a general guideline as to how long they should age this way before bottling?

Also, I haven't degassed them yet. I'm planning on doing that just prior to bottling. Is that a good idea or not?

 

[Turock]

There is no need to degas such a wine. No wine--other than a kit--should be manually degassed because you risk oxidation.

When we make these "big reds" we let it age up in the carboy for one year. Then we bottle, but allow them to age for 1-2 years in the bottle before drinking. Whites still are best when aged around the one year mark to let their flavors firm up. But then you can bottle them, allow them to rest for a month, then drink.