The Auswine Forum

Hi,

I have opened a Grossets Polish Hill Riesling 2003 under screw cap and it has a slight effervescence. I have never seen this before. Can anyone tell me what has happened here?

Mac

Hi Mac, as long as this is only slight this isnt really a fault, occasionally some CO2 remains in solution when rieslings are bottled. Other more technically minded folk will be able to tell you how it happens I'm sure.

How did the wine taste?

cheers

Andrew

Yes it is a fault, but given time in bottle it should correct itself, I'm not sure what effect the screwcap would have on this, might stop the CO2 from disolving into the wine

I don't really consider it a fault.

I would rather have a little dissolved CO2 than oxygen. Giaconda wines are also high in CO2 when first bottled. Over time this CO2 will be consumed by the oxygen in the wine.

At bottling, everything is done with inert gas. Some people will use Nitrogen to sparge the headspace as this will not dissolve into the wine.

Mac, riesling is not the ideal wine, but usually if you find it with a red or chardonnay, then a decant will usually clean it up.

Cheers

Franco

Thanks all! Very helpful!

Mac

Sounds like it is only dissolved CO2... Wine will hold dissolved CO2 in solution very well, if kept cold. If the wine warms up (even slightly, like just after you take it out of the fridge) the gas comes out of solution; this is the reason beer and sparkling wine goes flat after it is poured and left a while.Also, the very reason that screwcaps are so good has a downside in gas retention, i.e it holds the gas in solution better than a cork. Corks allow a certain amount of gas exchange both in and out (now THAT is another story!!)
It's no problem what so ever with the wine-it is only a visual thing. Some winemakers even add CO2 (called 'sparging') just before bottling, as it adds a crispness to the palate.And it is a bit of a safeguard for the wine if bottling under cork (does anybody STILL do that these days???)
Worst case scenario is that if the wine has any residual sugar, and the final filtration previous to going into bottling does not remove any yeast/bacteria, it could be fermenting in the bottle. If the wine has it's usual clarity (aside from the gas bubbles) all good then. If it looks a little cloudy, than it would be a sign that it is refermenting. All things considered, Grossett is well known for his particularly high standards in wine production, so I would bet this is not the case with this wine..

Tim, are you using screwcaps on all your wines now, then?
By the way, what did you end up calling your premium red?

Cheers,

Mark

Yep, screwcaps on all reds and the sticky. Still havent got a 'stagename' for the reserve/select/limited release/private bin/special bottling shiraz. Maybe I should run a competition???