Amber was out of stock last time. I usually do amber cause it’s a couple cents cheaper. Ha
Did you have mouse?
Lonnie, the actual “chemistry” definition would be easier to explain than the “wine” definition, which has only scant connection. I’ll give you mine, fwiw (as a chemist): reduction, in wine, is a truly terrible choice of a word used to say that the wine has some combination of noticeable volatile sulfur compounds. There is some debate whether people use it to describe the presence of obvious SO2, or it’s more used in the case of more obviously “aromatic” compounds like H2S, and more complex mercaptans (a mercaptan is just the analog of an alcohol, where the the oxygen is replaced by a sulfur atom). Mercaptans (also called Thiols) are notoriously strong smelling, and often in a bad way. Skunk, cooked cabbage, cat pee, elements of grapefruit, coffee, are some aromas of various mercaptans.
When someone describes a wine as “reduced” they are most likely referring to the presence of one or more of these types of smells, particularly the off-putting ones, like skunk, rubber, etc. This “reduction” (again, I’m not fond of its use, but it is the common parlance at this point), can sometimes dissipate, if the compounds in question change when exposed to oxygen. Copper can be an aid in some cases, which is why you’ll see people refer to the “copper penny trick”, but only in certain cases.
Oxidation is a different characteristic in wine, and usually refers to the wine having lost its freshness, turning more to sherry like (“oxidative”, presumably because unwanted oxygen got into the bottle) aromas. Unlike the presence of mercaptans, this is an actual change in the chemistry of the wine, as opposed to merely the presence of a contaminant in the case of reduction. And it is irreversible, so it wont improve.
Has anyone tried keeping the smaller bottles at cellar temperature vs. in the refrigerator? Is so, any difference when retasted?
Otto and Alan. I thank you both.
I bought 12 4 oz bottles on amazon and look forward to the experiment.
Lonnie
Can the bottles be reused?
I hadn’t seen Otto’s answer, which is also good!
Yes. Some use the dishwasher, but because the opening is small, I don’t quite trust that, both to get soap in, and more importantly to rinse it out. What I’ve adopted to clean them is to rinse out a couple times, then fill with boiling water and let sit while it cools. Empty, let dry for a day or two. Important: the plastic cone inserts can trap wine inside the cap, they should be pried out with a knife or ice pick, then the caps and inserts can be washed in soapy water.
i steam them in a multi level steamer - about 20 at a time
I chuckled as I saw your answer, since it looked like you just more or less rephrased what I just said!
Has anyone tried keeping the smaller bottles at cellar temperature vs. in the refrigerator? Is so, any difference when retasted?
My sinister laboratory (where I make beer and all sorts of other things and age my wine projects) stays about 65F in the summer. Haven’t had an issue leaving them there after filling them.
With (very mature, for example) wines that wouldn’t do well after getting some oxygen exposure, I’ll carefully siphon.
Can the bottles be reused?
After rinsing, I use a home wine making equipment cleaner (PBW). You can get small quantities from home wine and beer making suppliers and the likes of Amazon. Here’s an overview of options: Cleaning & Sanitizing Techniques - WineMakerMag.com
Opened a 1979 Heitz Martha’s 10 days ago. Poured into decanter for sediment around 3pm - decanted back into the clean bottle 4 hours later at 7pm. Drank from 8pm-12am. Had 6oz left in the bottle so poured it into a 4oz boston round and left it in my fridge.
Just got to it tonight and it’s still as youthful and wonderful as it was that night.
My initial notes that night - Still very fresh and present throughout the night. Odes of beautiful piercing eucalyptus and bright red fruit. The palate was structured and broad, still needing to fully fill out the frame but the tobacco, pencil notes, pepper and red cherry and sweet plum were still present and persistent. I really love 1979 Napa - the wines are so structured and built to age but have this core of flavor that shows its stuffing. The final pour of the 4oz bottle was the most aggressive and present fruit. Crazy that it kept opening up with each 1oz pour.
tonight - the mint is ethereal and gorgeous and the fruit is still bright and present. THe palate still has that tannic undertone with those secondary bordeaux notes coming through but the fruit profile is soft and plush red fruit. Like with a lot of great 60s/70s Napa there’s a weight of fruited liquoure on the finish that keeps it persistent. The acidity is clean adds to much life and purity to the fruit.
I’ve been rolling with these 4oz boston rounds since roughly mid April of 2020 for our virtual zoom tastings and they’ve been absolutely awesome. (posted about here back in mid april How to share the same bottle of wine with friends across the West Coast - Covid 19 style - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers (I’m actually really surprised how well they’ve taken off. I see people all over doing these bottle sample zoom tastings nowadays. I feel like a proud papa)
https://www.bottlestore.com/4oz-flint-boston-round-glass-bottle-bulk-pack-22-405-neck.html (I buy 160 at a time since we go through 36+ bottles each zoom tasting and this price is the best price at that quantity)
If by now you haven’t jumped on the train, not sure what you’re waiting for. This beats Repour, Coravin, etc etc.
This is amazing. I totally missed the first thread so I am really glad to catch this one and read the prior thread. I will definitely be trying this. Thanks so much for sharing C fu!
Also the bottle of 79 Heitz sounds amazing.
We are using the 4oz bottles in our business to keep our tasting series going. People love them. Thanks Fu.
Ehem. I feel that this blatant discrimination against the 3 oz bottle needs to be addressed. It gives you 7 pours even if there’s some sediment.
But why “Boston”?
Charlie
Which of the cap options in the link you shared are you using?
Clayton
Charlie
Which of the cap options in the link you shared are you using?
Clayton
22-400 Black Rib Side Smooth Top Phenolic (CT) Cap - LDPE Cone
I’ve been playing around with sample bottles over the past couple of months (inspired by Charlie) and my experience is that it works well for most young wines especially if I drink it within a week or two. Most of the time I drink it up pretty soon, but I have had notes of oxidation in a few cases when it sits in the fridge longer than a week. One example: 2014 Level Chav that I poured immediately into multiple 5 ounce bottles. My protocol is to pop and pour into the sample bottles with a funnel. I try to fill it up high to have as little air in the bottle as possible. Initially I bought tubing to transfer but it was too much work/messy and didn’t seem to be needed for young wines. Had some of the Levet day of, then I drank one sample bottle within the first week and it was still drinking super fresh and aromatic, even better than the first day. The second sample bottle I drank a week later and I can taste some mild oxidative notes creeping in. Have two sample bottles of 2000 Chateau Montelena Estate Cab and 2000 Chateau Cantemerle that I pop and poured directly into sample bottles yesterday night. Will probably aim to drink them before the end of this week.
I try to fill it up high to have as little air in the bottle as possible.
Is the goal to perhaps overfill a little, so there is no air?
Tips for a clean siphoning experience: 1) Have the bottle you’re transferring from higher up on some solid/stable surface. 2) Have good backlighting, so you can see the filling level clearly. One of those boxy 9V flashlights is a good option. 3) Be holding the bottle that’s being filled. Lift it to slow and then stop the flow. 4) For wines with sediment, put a clip of some sort on the tubing, so it can’t reach the bottom of the bottle.