Filtering sediment from older wines

[Ozzie W]

Just wondering what people are using to filter sediment out of older wines. I'm currently using a 74 micron (200 mesh) stainless steel Japanese tea strainer. It does a good job in removing sediment. Being stainless steel, it also doesn't impart anything foreign into the wine. However, some very fine visible particles still manage get through it. I've thought about using unbleached coffee filters or cheese cloth, but I'm concerned that it may alter the taste of the wine. Interested to hear people's thoughts on this topic.

[Bobthebuilder]

Generally just stand it for a few hours minimum, if not a day or two then pour slowly.
But if filtering required, usually due to some unco cork removal gone wrong, use some old cotton bedsheet, rinsed by hand several times and dried after the washer/dryer.
I have the stuff prepared, cut up into squares and ready to go in ample supply down in the laundry
The missus does go overboard with bedsheet quality so I suppose that contributes to the fine results.

[Raymo]

Coffee filter papers. No impact on the taste of the wine, inexpensive, disposable (no need to rinse or clean), easily replaceable if one gets overly clogged during the process.

Seriously, if you're worrying about them altering the taste of the wine, they won't.

Did I mention inexpensive?

[Hunter]

I often use comercial deep fryer filter bags which is used in the kitchen for straining stocks

[Ian S]

Geez mate, that's what you were given teeth for!

Seriously though:
- If I expect sediment, and especially fine sediment (e.g. Burgs and Nebbiolo), then I'll stand the bottle upright for a few days (or longer) to let it settle at the base.
- if decanting, then I use a (wine) filter funnel of a design that seems quite commonly available, which has a small basket to catch larger sediment, but I also slot a small square of some muslin beneath that basket to trap finer particles.

So for Ozzie, I'd suggest buying a little fine weave muslin and experimenting using it in conjunction with your tea strainer

p.s. for the coffee filter papers, common advice is to avoid the bleached (white) ones, as you might risk some TCA like flavour being imparted.

[phillisc]

I have a relative who for many years has used material that they make parachutes with...same material found in active wear/tracksuits.
Works a treat and does not impart any flavours at all.
But I'm with you Ian, a simple filter through the sieve and let the teeth do the rest.

Cheers
Craig

[winetastic]

If I have time to plan ahead, I will stand the bottle upright for at least 24 hours or longer then just pour slowly.

For unplanned older bottles, some years ago I was given a stainless steel wine straining funnel which works great. It has a very fine mesh, smaller than the ones used for tea. The only problem is its still not fine enough for old Nebbiolo really... but does turn the dregs + sediment from the careful stand up and pour method into a useful little taster without *too* much sediment.

[Ozzie W]

Thanks for the feedback/comments/suggestions.

There's some comments on other forums that unbleached coffee filters alter the taste of wine. Some coffee drinkers won't even use it for coffee as they say it alters the taste.

It seems people here are using filters/cloth/etc without issue so I'll give it a try. I don't always get the chance to plan enough ahead and stand the bottle upright for long enough.

[Mahmoud Ali]

I find that standing the wine upright for a couple of days and a careful decant is sufficient. I' know that Roy Hersch from fortheloveofport uses a fine muslin cheese cloth folded over several times. He finds that it is effective enough that he can open older vintage ports even on short notice.

Mahmoud.

[JamieBahrain]

I stood this old Henschke Mt Edelstone 1970 up on the Saturday and popped and poured on the Sunday. I like the old style bottle; seemed easy to guide the poor and hold off the sediment.

[Polymer]

There are nylon food safe reusable tea bags that can be 50 micron or even less..

Not sure if you want to get too small though as that is stripping too much of the wine out...I think Coffee Filters are 20 or something around there...and that's probably too much...

[Ozzie W]

There are nylon food safe reusable tea bags that can be 50 micron or even less..

Not sure if you want to get too small though as that is stripping too much of the wine out...I think Coffee Filters are 20 or something around there...and that's probably too much...

Thanks. Will check out those tea bags.

Many winemakers don't filter their wines. They claim it strips good characteristics out of the wine. The people who don't like using coffee filters use the same reasoning.

Seems like 0.45 micron filters are commonly used for filtering wines, so I can't see how 20 micron coffee filters are going to take something out the 0.45 micron filters didn't. On the other hand, if a wine was bottled unfiltered, then using a coffee filter may remove something the winemaker intended to be there.

I don't think there's necessarily a right or wrong answer here. A lot comes down to personal preference. Do you like your orange juice with or without pulp? There's no wrong or right answer.

[paulf]

I find that standing the wine upright for a couple of days and a careful decant is sufficient. I' know that Roy Hersch from fortheloveofport uses a fine muslin cheese cloth folded over several times. He finds that it is effective enough that he can open older vintage ports even on short notice.

Mahmoud.

Yep, I use Roy's method which is particularly relevant for Vintage ports given the amount of crust they often throw and I find that works well.

[Ian S]

Interesting comment about filtering in the winery vs. when opening the bottle. One best answered by winemakers, but I'll put forward a theory:

Avoiding filtering in the winery, allows more solids into the wine, which transfer additional flavour / complexity to the wine as it matures. However once mature, the solids have done their job and you'd generally not enjoy them texturally or taste wise (often they are bitter as the tannins drop out). Certainly fine sediment on Nebbiolo or Pinot Noir based wines can really detract.

[odyssey]

Sounds like an experiment is in order...

[Mahmoud Ali]

Interesting comment about filtering in the winery vs. when opening the bottle. One best answered by winemakers, but I'll put forward a theory:

Avoiding filtering in the winery, allows more solids into the wine, which transfer additional flavour / complexity to the wine as it matures. However once mature, the solids have done their job and you'd generally not enjoy them texturally or taste wise (often they are bitter as the tannins drop out). Certainly fine sediment on Nebbiolo or Pinot Noir based wines can really detract.

Spot on Ian, couldn't agree more.

Mahmoud.

[George Krashos]

I stood this old Henschke Mt Edelstone 1970 up on the Saturday and popped and poured on the Sunday. I like the old style bottle; seemed easy to guide the pour and hold off the sediment.

My birth year. How was it holding up?

-- George Krashos

[JamieBahrain]

Hi George

This bottle was mid-shoulder and going fine ! Stunning old wines Mt Ed given the unlikelihood of smart cellaring. I have others just below neck from this vintage . Sediment was very light.

Couple of people in my tasting group are sediment drinkers and swear it's the best part of the wine - the last 20ml or so. Annoyingly they are always in contact before wine dinners asking for the wines not to be decanted which can't be risked if the wines must travel to the restaurant

[Matt@5453]

Interesting comment about filtering in the winery vs. when opening the bottle. One best answered by winemakers, but I'll put forward a theory:

Avoiding filtering in the winery, allows more solids into the wine, which transfer additional flavour / complexity to the wine as it matures. However once mature, the solids have done their job and you'd generally not enjoy them texturally or taste wise (often they are bitter as the tannins drop out). Certainly fine sediment on Nebbiolo or Pinot Noir based wines can really detract.

Yes - good point and topic. This is very generally speaking, from my experience there many different types of ‘filtering’.
Filtration type and desired micron achieved depends on the wineries budget (can be expensive technology), what the winemaker is trying to achieve in the wine making process (e.g. recovery of wine) and what the finished product in bottle is to look like. Filtration in its basic form is settling / racking. Filtration’s purpose is to remove unwanted microbes or other particles from the wine with the end result being a stable wine in bottle. Even with ‘filtered’ wines you can still get sediment and or crust, its the level of degree of filtering.