RJ Spagnols Winery Series Old Vine Zinfandel - Oak it?

[WI_Wino]

I stole a small sample last night of my WS OVZ I started this past spring. Amazing! (this is my first high end kit)

Question is, should I oak it? I have made zero tweaks to this kit other than bulk aging since April or so. I am planning on bulk aging for a year.

 

[SouthernChemist]

By asking if you should oak the wine, do you mean should you add more oak to it or that you haven't treated it with oak at all? That particular kit is supposed to have an oak level of 4.

 

[wineforfun]

Is that the Cellar Classic WS OVZ by RJS? If so, I have one aging right now. Mine came with oak chips/dust that went in during fermentation.

 

[WI_Wino]

SouthernChemist - Sorry, I'm asking if people think adding more to it is a good idea (i.e. can zinfandels stand up to additional oak?). Ideally folks who have made this kit would chime in . I have followed the instructions pretty much to a T thus far minus bulk aging and adding another does of k-meta at 4 months.

wineforfun - Yep, that's the kit.

 

[wineforfun]

WI Wino,
Mine has been aging for 2 months now. I am about ready to rack it off some lees again and K-Meta it. How often are you racking or adding K-Meta to yours during your bulk aging?
The lady at RJS told me to rack every 3 months and add 1/4 tsp. K-Meta.

 

[WI_Wino]

I believe i have racked from primary (bucket) to secondary (carboy) and then racked once more from carboy to carboy. I added k-meta directly to the carboy and gave it a little stir. Mine has not thrown a ton of lees lately so I don't see the need to rack it every 3 months. The sample I pulled was very clear (for a red wine anyway). My basement temp has slowly risen from 55 in the dead of winter to 69 in the heat of summer. Is what it is.

 

[bkisel]

No! You sampled it and found it "Amazing!" so why screw with it?

Maybe even consider bottling now to free up the carboy? You can finish aging in the bottles.

 

[SouthernChemist]

You can always oak it to your personal preference, but it sounds like you already like how it tastes (just wait till it's closer to 18 months old!). I personally would lean towards keeping it as is.

 

[WI_Wino]

No! You sampled it and found it "Amazing!" so why screw with it?

Maybe even consider bottling now to free up the carboy? You can finish aging in the bottles.

No need to bottle, I have plenty of empty carboys right now, 6-5 gallons, 3 or 4 6 gallons, and a 3 gallon carboy.

It's amazing now but part of me wonders what it would taste like with some extra oak...

So I think I'm going to keep bulk aging until roughly a year. Then bottle half and try some oak in a 3 gallon carboy. Just have to stay out of it for another 6 months So tempting though.

 

[terroirdejeroir]

Well, if you have this overpowering urge and you have a three-gallon carboy, split your batch and add some additional oak to half of it.

 

[WI_Wino]

Only 1 three gallon carboy, not two. So if I was to split now I would be moving half to bottles or 1 gallon jugs.

 

[wineforfun]

WI Wino,
I have done the same as you, primary to carboy, carboy to carboy. Mine however, has about 1/2" - 3/4" of lees built up on the bottom. I think I will rack it one more time, let it sit for a couple/few more months, then bottle.

 

[USA_WineMaker]

The advertisements within the posts are very annoying. Can you turn them off? Does anyone else agree? Sorry to bring up this issue within a thread but I don't know where else to do it. Argh!

 

[SouthernChemist]

I think it would be better to let it get some age on it before you try adding more oak. You might have a better idea of how it will benefit by then.