Flaky sediment in a young (2021) high quality wine … is this normal?
Flaky sediment in a young (2021) high quality wine … is this normal?
by Privateinvestor2468
5 Comments
Privateinvestor2468
So opened a bottle of a renowed Italian winery. Their first wine is very highly regarded. This is their second wine.
Since it’s a wine from 2021 I didn’t think about decanting is. On the bottom I found these really big chunks of flaky sediment … at first I thought it were pieces of grape or skin.
Is this normal for such a young wine or is it a sign that it was not stored properly?
Ocelotal
Yes, it’s normal. The sediment is a mixture of potassium bitartrate and small amounts of potassium tartrate microcrystals (conjugate bases derived from tartaric acid in the grape juice), which have been stained red by anthocyanins (pigments in the skins). Likely an indicator the wine wasn’t cold stabilised. The crystals are harmless and not a sign of a fault or incorrect storage
Edit: clarity
Il_vino_buono
Tartrate crystals (wine diamonds). Try eating one. New World producers often see them as s flaw. Many old world producers don’t believe in over intervention and see them as evidence of simple traditional wine making.
BroodjeHaring
Yes. It is very very normal in quality wine.
SpeakersPushTheA1r
I had my first wine crystals in an old vine zinfandel earlier this year, I may have chilled it a bit too long.
5 Comments
So opened a bottle of a renowed Italian winery. Their first wine is very highly regarded. This is their second wine.
Since it’s a wine from 2021 I didn’t think about decanting is. On the bottom I found these really big chunks of flaky sediment … at first I thought it were pieces of grape or skin.
Is this normal for such a young wine or is it a sign that it was not stored properly?
Yes, it’s normal. The sediment is a mixture of potassium bitartrate and small amounts of potassium tartrate microcrystals (conjugate bases derived from tartaric acid in the grape juice), which have been stained red by anthocyanins (pigments in the skins). Likely an indicator the wine wasn’t cold stabilised. The crystals are harmless and not a sign of a fault or incorrect storage
Edit: clarity
Tartrate crystals (wine diamonds). Try eating one. New World producers often see them as s flaw. Many old world producers don’t believe in over intervention and see them as evidence of simple traditional wine making.
Yes. It is very very normal in quality wine.
I had my first wine crystals in an old vine zinfandel earlier this year, I may have chilled it a bit too long.