Hi Everyone,
All these wines were made from California grapes.
I just racked my Zin and Syrah, Cab and Merlot today. No smelly Cab or Merlot but the Syrah and Zin had quite a noticeable H2S smell. I splashed and aerated quite a bit, hoping to get rid of the smell. I will probably rack again in 3-4 weeks to try to get rid of the smell. I would like to add my oak chips to all my wines, but the question is, do I wait and try to get rid of the H2S smell before I add the oak, or is it ok to add oak now, and maybe this will help in reducing the H2S smell. Last year I had a smelly Merlot, and after several rackings, it dissapeared, then I oaked. I have heard the Zin and Syrah will benefit from early oaking.
Your opinions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Dave