Wine Xpert kit aging time

BDRJ

I finished up a 6-8 week Pinot Noir Wine Xpert kit and filtered and bottled it on Nov 15th.
I just tried a sample from a bottle and I am very surprised to have it as acidic and dare I say almost sour type flavor to it.
I have been told it can take a good year or more before the longer age wine kits take to fully develop, but I am wondering if I may have messed up or I should just come back a year from now and let everyone know how it turned out.

Bobby_M

You "filtered" it how?
These kits make really good wine that is pretty drinkable after a couple months in the bottle and in my opinion will peak right at about the one year mark and stay good for one more year at cellar temps.
Acidic and Sour would indicate that you have a acetobacter contamination and you're on your way to vinegar.

BDRJ

I filtered it using a mini jet filter with #2 pads.
I should say it may not be sour more just on the acidic side.
From what I have been told that is normal for young wines but that it mellows out over time, but I was just shocked that it was really acidic.

Brooothru

You didn’t mention which ‘level’ the kit was. The higher echelon kits (more liters of must) do indeed make very drinkable table wines, rivaling some commercial wines costing $20~30 and more. I’ve made more wine than brewed beer, and I brew a lot of beer. Like Bobby_M said, the ‘sour’ may just be acidity, and may be just ‘youth’.
I like to bulk age my wines with oak spirals, anywhere from a few months to more than a year before bottling. Right now I have four reds that have been resting for 14-16 months and they tasted quite good from barrel samples taken in early November.
Properly handled from yeast pitch to bottle corking, the higher volume must wines kits can have very good aging characteristics. We recently had a Stag’s Leap from 2013 and an Old Vines Zin from ‘15. (fermentation dates, not vintage) which were very pleasant wines.

BDRJ

The kit I did was this one

lw0va2aj1lz.png

Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon - WinexpertFresh red fruit flavours of strawberry, raspberry, and red cherry with notes of baking spice, earth, and smoke. Supple and smooth, with bright acidity.winexpert.com
Start date was Oct 1st so it could just be really young and needs a longer time before it is good.

Brooothru

Yes. That’s a very nice wine. My wife has been on a serious Pinot kick lately, and we have just finished the last bottle of the “old format” (18L) WineXpert Aussie Pinot Noir that was bottled 5 years ago. It was excellent.
But SWMBO’d has gone full “Sideways” and refuses, ala Paul Giamatti, to “…drink any f***ing Merlot…”, so I guess I need to do more Pinot.

Bobby_M

Yes, I can confirm that kit is very good. Try another bottle for New Year's Eve.

Coffee49

I didn't think winexpert kits required filtering. Chitostan and keisesol should have done the trick when they were added, 6 months in the bottle will mature that wine but still aerate that makes a difference when sipping.

BDRJ

Ya going to wait a few more months and see what happens

Coffee49

No , I just double the days recommended between adding ingredients and rackings and after 4 months in the bottle they all turn out good.

Brooothru

Exactly. Those times, in fact the entire suggested timeline, are only a ‘perfect case’ situation. Let specific gravity be a guide (not an absolute), and plan to double all the fermentation times. Then age the finished wine in bulk for a minimum of 1~3 months before bottling. Then wait about 2 months before uncorking the first bottle. Your tastebuds will thank you.
If the instructions say, “Ready in 6 Weeks,” they really mean 6 months.

Coffee49

Also keep a few instructions for reference as I have had kits with misprints in the instructions

BDRJ

Ya I found one of the parts in the instructions stated to not top up the carboy after racking to secondary and adding in the fining agents and sulfates. Found that odd as I thought you have to make sure there was little to no oxygen in the carboy.