...I have some 3 year old mead that was bottled tasting hot after 6 months in the secondary. It has since become very nice. So what happens on the molecular level or otherwise that creates this change? I mean, I get that it happens but what's the process that occurs.
Oh, I'm sure there are scientific explanations for some aspects of what occurs (and probably no real explanations for other aspects). You can probably find a lot of it covered in writings on Fermentation Science.
Frankly I never sought out the info myself, because it's just one of those things I'm just happy to attribute to miracles of nature.
I figure, why spoil the magic with rational explanations?
But, happy hunting for the info nonetheless...and also, maybe someone here with a science background will eventually weigh in on the subject.