Is it possible to smell strong alcohol on the breath of someone who drank at midnight in the morning?

PLEASE SEE MY UPDATE BELOW. My boyfriend and I were drinking wine before sleep. We went to sleep at midnight. He got up at 5:30 and said he needed a glass of water. He was gone a bit, and when he returned and breathed on me, I noticed a strong alcohol smell. I asked him if he had a swig of alcohol. He laughed at me, called me a knucklehead, and said he only went to the bathroom to pee and get some water from the faucet. I noticed that he drinks a great deal of alcohol (mostly wine)--often a bottle of wine plus cocktail a night. I also recently noticed that he covers some things up with "small" lies. So I am wondering about this, but don't know enough about "alcohol breath." Is it possible that the wine he drank at midnight was still very much in his mouth after he went to the bathroom and drank water and came back to bed at 5:30 a.m.? There's no disputing that I did smell a strong alcohol smell.

When he got home, and upon seeing all the notes saying that it's possible the breath was from the previous night, I wondered if I am misreading things.

He himself brought up my comment from this morning. Him: "You thought I had alcohol? That'd be crazy. With my stressful job, it's the last thing I'd need. I felt bad that my breath stank so bad, I almost went back to brush my teeth again." Me: "Oh. Okay. Did you use mouthwash? It was a very strong alcohol smell." Him: "No, no, I just had some water and peed. Last thing I needed was another glass of wine in the morning." Me: "You know, some people do that to prevent a bad hangover if they're alcoholics." Him: "Oh, yeah, I know!"

I told him that I went to the doctor yesterday morning for a well visit, which I did, and that we talked about my alcohol intake being too much and that I didn't like it and I was going to cut down. Then I had a glass and a half of wine with supper. He had a beer (a great reduction for him), though I did not comment on what he was having and why or request that he has less alcohol. Then he said he was sick and needed to sleep on his own but would come upstairs to my bedroom during the night. He didn't. He said in the morning that he just tossed and turned because he has a cold.

I am starting to feel paranoid, like what if he drank alcohol at night and that's why he didn't come up? Ultimately, I'm not going to press the matter, because there's no way to prove anything. But I have my doubts and given his other "small" cover-ups (having to do with his enabling of his teenage son's misbehaviors). I am doubtful about the relationship. Then there's this niggling feeling that I'm wrong about everything. But then I think, no, goddamn it, my perceptions tend to be right. The place is that of confusion.