When is a good time to bottle apple wine?

[CanadianBacon]

I have a apple wine around 15% that has been fermenting for 8 months. Its been racked 3 times and I don't see lees at all. I have had it on medium toasted oak for about 2 months. I tasted it 2-3 months ago and it still tasted strong like liquor but with a great taste of apple.

At this point will bulk aging benefit the wine? Or should I bottle age now.

 

[DoctorCAD]

At 15%, it needs YEARS to mellow. Keep fruit wines down below 12 and they will be much better,, much sooner.

 

[Yooper]

If it's no longer dropping any lees at all, isn't going through MLF, and is completely clear, it can be bottled and aged in the bottle without any problem.

 

[bernardsmith]

I have a apple wine around 15% that has been fermenting for 8 months. Its been racked 3 times and I don't see lees at all. I have had it on medium toasted oak for about 2 months. I tasted it 2-3 months ago and it still tasted strong like liquor but with a great taste of apple.

At this point will bulk aging benefit the wine? Or should I bottle age now.

I am curious about the taste after it has been sitting on oak for 2 months. Have you tasted the wine recently? How intense does the oak taste? I don't often use oak but when I do I might allow the wine to sit on the oak for a week or two.

 

[Honda88]

the oak intensity will diminish over time. If you taste a wine after its been on oak for 2 weeks it will taste like oak but open it up a year later and it won't taste anything at all like it did fresh off the oak.