What is Bottle Shock (and why am I writing about it now)?
January 7, 2025
Having just finished bottling six new wines last week (five of our 2023 Pinot noir’s and our inaugural 2023 Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre (GSM), the topic of bottle shock comes to mind?
Is it a real thing?
Is it a great movie starring the late Alan Rickman?
Well, I think it’s both.
Bottle shock (sometimes people call it bottle sickness) is a temporary condition that can affect wine, particularly after it has been bottled, transported, or subjected to some form of environmental stress. This phenomenon results in a few issues, including muted aromas, disjointed flavors or an overall flat character.
In the past, some but not all of our wines had some form of bottle shock at some point during the first 30 days following bottling. For this last bottling run, two of the six wines had some form of bottle shock – disjoined flavor (the 2023 Estate Pinot noir) and the 2023 GSM (flat character).
Although there isn’t a definitive cause for bottle chock, here are the potential causes that many winemakers have theorized:
- Oxygen Exposure During Bottling
The bottling process often introduces a small amount of oxygen to the wine, which can disrupt its chemical balance and affect its flavor and aroma profile.
- Physical Agitation
Excessive movement, such as during shipping or handling, can disturb the wine’s structure and temporarily dull its characteristics. This is common for wines that have traveled long distances.
- Chemical Imbalance
Bottling can lead to chemical changes as the wine adjusts to its new environment, particularly if sulfur dioxide (SO₂) levels are adjusted during the process.
- Temperature Stress
Exposure to extreme or fluctuating temperatures can exacerbate bottle shock, particularly during transportation or storage in less-than-ideal conditions.
- Dissolved Gas Changes
The transfer of wine into the bottle can alter the equilibrium of dissolved gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, potentially causing temporary instability.
Do All Wines Recover From Bottle Shock? Most wines recover naturally over time with proper storage. In our experience, allow the wine to rest for one to four weeks after bottling (or transportation) to regain balance and express its full potential. For any of our wines that have shown some form of bottle shock, all have recovered within a month.
Circle the date… on January 10, 2025, I’ll be trying the 2023 Estate Pinot noir and the GSM to see if they’ve fully recovered from the trauma of bottling!
