What difference 2 years makes

[jonereb]

I started fermenting a gallon of muscadine wine almost 2 years ago (Sept. 2015). I did the usual racking, etc. over several months. To be honest, at the time of bottling, the wine looked thin and had an unpleasant fermentation smell and taste. Now, a few months shy of 2 years, I opened a bottle last week. Wow! What a difference. While the wine is still a little thin (too much water), it tasted remarkably better, and the fermentation smell/taste is gone except for maybe a hint, but I was looking for it. I used 1118 yeast.

My 2016 wine is not as thin because I cut back on the water, and will cut back even more in 2017.

I'm still learning to make wine, but I've come a long way and have a long way to go, but this gives me hope. Thanks to everyone who answered my questions and offered advice.

 

[DoctorCAD]

If you think 2 years works, listen to this story.

I gifted a bottle of my RJS Restricted Quantity Cab Franc/Merlot in 2010 after bottling. I told the girl to hold on to it. Last weekend, I was visiting her and she pulled that bottle out of storage.

A 7 year old bottle. It was as good as almost any other wine I have ever had. I would have put it up against some 95 point wines...

Time is your friend.

 

[jonereb]

Maybe I'll set a bottle or two aside for long term experiments.

 

[Charlie Little]

Visited my brother in Florida a few weeks ago. He had a glass decanter of muscadine wine my dad made some 20 years ago and he had never even tasted it. Crystal clear with an amber color, hardened lees on the bottom. I poured some and it was the absolute best wine I ever tasted.