I Made A Pinot Popsicle....Now What?

WINE TALK
1

I intended to take to dinner last night a bottle of 2011 Brewer-Clifton SRH pinot noir. I put it in the freezer to let it chill for 15 mins and forgot the damn thing and didn’t realize it until I was 1/2 way to dinner. I took it out when I got home and placed it into the fridge to allow it to slowly unfreeze. I tried it this morning and it seemed sweeter in tone but otherwise tasted fine. I left the bottle to my wife for her book club tonight but it got me to thinking…we have talked much about heat damage but what about freezing, in my case, about 3 hours of it. What would this generally due to wine from a negative consequence, if any?

2

I don’t think it’d have a negative consequence other than taking longer to get back to normal after “defrosting” it.

3

Should precipitate out stuff that might not go back in the same way, no? That’s how you “cold filter” fluids.

4

no taste problem or change, in my opinion.

5

You’re lucky it wasn’t in long enough to really freeze and push the cork out, the real negative of freezing wine.

But now that you mention it I got to thinking how good a RR Pinot popsicle would be on a hot afternoon. [cheers.gif]

6

Short of blowing the cork out (more volume as a solid than a liquid) and breaking the seal, the wine will be unchanged. Just make sure to thaw it for easier consumption.

7

I had drank a couple ounces before I slung it in there so it simply froze with no 'sploding. Looks like my wife’s group gets a nice bottle tomorrow, as this is another nifty 2011.

8

The only negative consequence I can think of is the fact that you drink pinot in the morning!!

9

I was always taught that freezing can arrest the development of a wine. I don’t know any scientific or rational reason for this. I don’t think it alters things at all for near term dirnking (infact I know winemakers who freeze samples), but what would you think about one of your 2005 d’angerville clos des Ducs being frozen? would you have no worries for 10-15 years down the road?

10

If I could swing it, I would in no way consider that a negative.

11

I did the same thing with a 79 Rieussec a few years ago. Threw it in the freezer to cool it down, then just forgot about it as we got into a bunch of other great dessert wines.

Found it the next day completely frozen. Tears. Let it thaw and poured it when “warmed” to the proper temperature. Poured it for everyone and we couldn’t believe how good it was, wondering if somehow the cryotherapy benefited the wine. At the time we figured that the high sugar content somehow protected the wine, but good to know that others have had less than tragic experiences as well.

cheers,
Doug

12

Can you get the “tartrate” crystals sticking to the bottom of the cork?

13

So is THIS the best wine preservation system for half a bottle overnight? Maybe freezing would be better than refrigeration or corovin.

14

It could push the pH either up or down slightly (depending on the starting pH), but it probably wouldn’t be noticeable.

15

It can reduce the acidity which may be why it seemed “sweeter in tone” to you. But other than that I’ve never noticed much effect.

16

For short term, yeah. It will usually cause some tartaric crystals to precipiate, but the difference in taste is negligible. I do it with cooking wine all the time, and better stuff on occasion.

17

What time do I tune in to hear the results? :slight_smile:

18

Even that might not be an issue. I had a natural experiment of two frozen bottles of Trapet Chambertin with pushed corks - drank one right away and it seemed fine; took a rubber mallet to the other and had it months later with no noticeable ill effects.

19

erm—a cheaper version of the Coravin?

I wouldn’t have guessed next to no effect, this is good info to know, thx all.

20

i have frozen leftovers for a few weeks before, no perceptible change. I wouldnt do it with very fragile or old wines, but from my few experiences it has worked as intended