Thread: rapid aging
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Steve Slatcher Steve Slatcher is offline
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Default rapid aging

On 12/04/2012 00:26, Bruce Sinclair wrote:

> Yep ... but ... can the wine maker not allow the aging process in their
> large containers to continue past what they would have before screw tops, so
> that the wine they bottle is the wine they want you to have ?
>
> My understanding is that they now do age past what they would have, and
> because they know there will be very limited changes once bottled, can leave
> it till they think it's ready.


I don't think winemakers release screwcapped bottles later than corked
bottles. When bottles are released often has more to do with cash-flow
than anything else. Some producers hold some bottles back and then sell
them for more money, but that is in effect an investment for them, and
more usually they prefer to get the income ASAP to run the business.

Poor corks may allow more oxygen into the bottle than screwcaps, and
corks do have other effects like sometimes adding bad flavours, or
removing flavours. But screwcaps still do allow in some oxygen, and
there are many other changes that take place in-bottle in the absence of
oxygen.

Also bear in mind also that different people want different things.
Some like young wines, some very old.

> I do note however, that the wine they still bottle under corks is
> predominantly reds.


That is true, but a lot of reds are put under screwcap too, particularly
in Australia and New Zealand.

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