Help! Malbec tastes very dull (low acidity) after MLF

[Silver_Is_Money]

I just racked my Malbec a bit more than 2 months post adding the malo-lactic fermentation culture, and it tastes very dull, with a taste that seems as if it is very low in acidity. Everything I've read states to adjust acidity before fermentation (which upon the advice of my juice supplier who said this was not necessary, I did not do). Can acidity be adjusted this late in the game?

I have a pH meter which I use for making beer. I do not have a wine acidity test kit. Can I use my pH meter to determine how much acid blend to add (if it can be added this late), and if so, how much acid blend will I need for 6 full gallons, based upon my pH reading?

My initial research indicates that a pH of about 3.8 should be about right for Malbec. Does this sound right? If I'm above pH 4 (as I highly suspect) should I stir in some acid blend in an attempt to lower it to pH 3.8? Or will I need to purchase a wine acidity test kit?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

OK, this is way more weird than I first thought. I broke out the pH meter and calibrated it, and my Malbec measures in at pH = 3.11. Yet my taste perception is still that of low acidity. It just may be the Chilean grapes vs. Argentine grapes thing.

While I was at it I also measured a very nice tasting mid priced store bought bottle of Argentine Malbec, and it came in at a pH of 3.18. So much for my initial projection of pH 3.8 being the ideal target.

 

[Yooper]

It's not the pH so much as the titratable acidity (TA). Also, the make up of the acids are crucial- as you've found lactic acid is 'softer' than malic acid which is more "biting".

You can try adding some acid to a taster glass of the wine to see if it improves. Titaric acid would be the preferable choice in this.

Sometimes a little tannin helps with the 'bite' as well.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

It's not the pH so much as the titratable acidity (TA). Also, the make up of the acids are crucial- as you've found lactic acid is 'softer' than malic acid which is more "biting".

You can try adding some acid to a taster glass of the wine to see if it improves. Titaric acid would be the preferable choice in this.

Sometimes a little tannin helps with the 'bite' as well.

Great advice! I will purchase some tartaric acid and add it to a sample to see if it improves things. Is this the same thing as "acid blend", or should I ask specifically for tartaric acid?

It was indeed well more acidic tasting before I did the malo-lactic fermentation. And it was too biting at that juncture.

 

[Chef-Ryan]

Acid blend is a blend of Tartaric, malic and citric (ratios of the 3 can vary due to who makes the blend but it would be listed either on package or somewhere online)

 

[gregbathurst]

You need to give wine plenty of time after MLF, don't do anything in a hurry or you might regret it. MLF does cause transient flavour molecules which will soon go. Sometimes people can dump wine when it tastes worse after MLF, when all they had to do is wait. tasting flabby is one of the main symptoms. I do MLF every year on my red wine but i never judge it till a few months after MLF. red wine takes time anyway, don't add any acid till you have let it settle for 2 months at least.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

You need to give wine plenty of time after MLF, don't do anything in a hurry or you might regret it. MLF does cause transient flavour molecules which will soon go. Sometimes people can dump wine when it tastes worse after MLF, when all they had to do is wait. tasting flabby is one of the main symptoms. I do MLF every year on my red wine but i never judge it till a few months after MLF. red wine takes time anyway, don't add any acid till you have let it settle for 2 months at least.

Excellent advice!

My wife likes it just as it is, so I'm not going to jump into altering it.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Follow-up: I just racked and added Fermfast Dualfine Clearing Aid as my fining agent leading up to bottling. The sample glass (about 4 oz.) I poured off of the wine left behind by racking still tasted dull, so I added 1 drop of lemon juice concentrate to it and it tasted just right. Having already added the fining agent, and not having any wine acid on hand, I simply scaled up my experiment and added 4 TSP of lemon juice concentrate to just under 6 gallons. I'll bottle it in a few days and see if this was the right thing to do or not.