Strong grapefruit like smell on chardonnay.

You have most probably got oxidation of your wine. "Grapefruit" smell is typical of the smell and taste of sherry (try to compare) which is an oxidized white wine (among other things).

I've never done Chardonnay, but have done my share of Chardonel, a close cousin. It almost always has grapefruit character in the early stages, which later develops into the more typical apple/pear characters of this type of wine. I'd give it time and see how it develops. Grapefruit aroma is not the worst character a wine can have.

If the wine is too tart, this is another issue. It could be any of several factors... quite possibly some in combination. A young wine will have two acidic qualities working against it:

First, carbon dioxide from the fermentation can remain in solution in the form of carbonic acid. This not only raises the overall acid (TA) but also can cause an annoying sensation of fizz on the palate.

Second, if the wine was made from fruit or juice (not concentrate), there can be excess amounts of tartaric acid present that will drop out when the wine is chilled, a process called chill proofing or cold stabilizing. Depending on the wine, this process can lower the acid level significantly in a young wine.

Other causes can require more drastic measures, but I'd suggest checking on the above before proceeding any further.

clyde

Steelville, MO, USofA

Is there anything I can do to reverse it? Fining technique????

TIA

Bob

Not true. Grapefruit character is something I've observed in several of my Chardonnays during their youth. It goes away with age. Don't worry.

Your bigger problem is "extremely tart". It might have been a mistake to inhibit ML in this wine. OTOH, if the pH is really low, ML may never have gone anyway. You may need to address this issue with potassium carbonate if the wine is too acidic to be enjoyable, but you don't have to do that until just before cold stabilization. Be sure to do bench trials first.

Tom S

Thanks Tom,Clyde and KJ for the responses. I'm going to keep an eye on it. Could the grapefruit smell "possibly" be oxidation like KJ said or is that NOT possible? I know what aceldhyde smells like and it doesn't smell like that BUT I have only smelled it in red wine. Does it smell different in white? I just want to do all I can to diagnose this. I've read that PVPP might help if it is. Does anyone have any experiences with that stuff???

TIA

Bob

Yeah, some. If the wine gets to the point where PVPP is required to "repair" it, I'd (personally) dump it. That said, I'd say it doesn't sound to me like that's the case here. Just keep your free SO2 at a normal level and containers topped up.

When I've noticed grapefruit in my Chardonnay it has always been just after fermentation and lasted ~2 or 3 months in barrel. It has never persisted much beyond that. If your wine is on oak chips I'd expect similar. If not, I'd bet it'll still disappear.

Tom S

Thanks Tom.

Bob

Bob,

If the wine has become quite brownish (maderized) it is likely over oxidized although the real test is in the taste. If it tastes fine just keep adequate levels of sulfite and make sure it is kept topped up. Apart from a wine that has become ruined from over-oxidation or becoming vinegary, I've often been pleasantly surprised by the improvement and change in a wine that has been properly aged.

Glen Duff

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bob wrote: