I just received my Neal zin on monday and have the itch to crack one open this weekend. Is this wine likely to be suffering from bottle shock? if not, for those of you who have had it before, should I decant (for how long)?

don't open it. lay it down for at least few weeks, few months even better.

Bottle shock is a theory I simply do not subscribe to, especially with a $20 zin.

i agree with tt in this case. no worries.

I've already drank through a case of this wine, and it is very drinkable now...and quite enjoyable.

tomtom

I believe in Sticker Shock & Bottle Shock! Anyway, Parker believes in Bottle Shock, so it must be true!

Bottle shock does exist, but is mostly talked about after the bottling of the wine, less so on the transport of the wine.

If you ask 10 different winemakers, you will likely get 10 different answers on how long each of them think the wine will be in shock after the bottling.

quote:

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Originally posted by latour67:
_tomtom _

I believe in Sticker Shock & Bottle Shock! Anyway, Parker believes in Bottle Shock, so it must be true!

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I'm always suffering from sticker shock.

quote:

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Originally posted by latour67:
_tomtom _

I believe in Sticker Shock & Bottle Shock! Anyway, Parker believes in Bottle Shock, so it must be true!

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I'm always suffering from sticker shock.

Pyang - I've always been curious about "bottle shock". Just what mechanism do winemakers use to explain this supposed phenomenon? Is there a consistent flavor profile to describe it? Do the levels of tanin matter?

It seems on the face an unlikely proposition.

I'm more inclined to think that the wine undergoes more dramatic change in the first couple of weeks after bottling than later, after the initial oxygen in the bottle reaches equilibrium and a normal aging profile sets in. But that hardly seems like "shock" and the wine should essentially taste the same as the initially bottled juice. Just my guess.

btw, even a moderate bottling can use few months of ageing, while the good stuff must age. the improvement will be quite noticeable.

Bottle shock and travel shock are two different things.

Bottle shock is very real and can be quite unpleasant.

Travel shock does exist but is usually less noticeable.

In both cases a little patience would be advised.

Younger wines travel better than older because the is little or no sediment. The older the wine, the longer it should "rest" before opening.

Bottle shock has many variables. First is to know if the wine went through filtrations and which sort of filtrations were performed. Various methods have different rebound rates. Is the wine filtered on the bottling line or a perios before the bottling. What is the O2 content in the finished wine.

My best advice is to taste the same wine on a couple/few occasions within a month or two and decide for yourself how you prefer the bottle.

with the disclaimer that i'm just an ignorant arkie with a leather palate, i don't buy into bottle shock. at a wine event i once saw a sommelier make a point by shaking a bottle violently for over a minute and then open it next to an identical bottle which was covered with dust and had been at rest for years. no appreciable difference. none.

J. Henry's Dad,

benchland explained it very well, bottle shock is resulted from the bottling process, during which, the wine is stretched out. With bottle age, the wine should pull itself back together.

The wine in the bottle should taste the same as the final blend in the tank or barrel right before being bottled.

As Gigond Ass mentioned, bottle shock is different than travel shock. The term bottle shock should really only be applied to the wines that's freshly bottled. This is why some wineries insists on releasing the wine to public at least 6 month after bottling.

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hiatus afflatus,

Shaking the bottle violently is also different than bottle shock. That's really more similar to splash decanting than anything else, but not exactly that either. It would make sense that those two bottles taste the same.

hiatus afflatus

Yes, there was no appreciable difference because both bottles were bad!

***BUMP***

Just wondering if taking a few bottles over a 20 hour drive in a highly modified sports car (with lots of vibrations) with cause the bottles to have "travel shock."

Is there anything I can do to prevent travel shock?

I am worried about bringing bottles there and more so bringing a case or two back.

I believe in bottle shock, but not travel shock.

In my experience the only thing to worry about when travelling with wine is shaking up all the sediment.

quote:

Originally posted by Bella Donna:
***BUMP***

Just wondering if taking a few bottles over a 20 hour drive in a highly modified sports car (with lots of vibrations) with cause the bottles to have "travel shock."

Is there anything I can do to prevent travel shock?

I am worried about bringing bottles there and more so bringing a case or two back.

It’ll be a problem if your riding a PinkJeep in Sedona!

I believe electroshock therapy is the way to go before departing on this trip. And since when Jeep Wrangler is a "highly modified sports car"?

Who said anything about driving a Jeep Wrangler to Cali? The Jeep is going to be rented and driven only in Sedona, keep up Grunhauser.

Have you seen "Fast and Furious?" Unfortunately for me, that is what I meant by "highly modified sports car."

Back to my original question: so nobody foresees any problems carrying wine back from Cali with all of this vibration?

quote:

Originally posted by Bella Donna:
Back to my original question: so nobody foresees any problems carrying wine back from Cali with all of this vibration?

Nope, not in the least. Your car is going to vibrate the wine about a 1,000 times less than your average UPS tractor trailer rig hauling it cross country. Your only concern is extreme heat and extreme cold which should not be a problem this time of year. If you were going during a hotter/colder time of the year I'd definitely recommend taking the wine into your hotel room after checkin; not leaving it in the car overnight.

The only bottle shock I've experienced,is when the damn thing is empty!!