Mosti Mondiale additinal oak in MM Cabernet

[seminarian]

My cabernet came with oak chips, will this be enough to give the Cabernet a great taste or should I add additional oak to the carboy?

 

[grapeman]

"Great Taste" is a very subjective term. It is all relative. Differrent people like differing oak amounts and there is no real way to tell how much you like. Why don't you make the kit with the supplied oak and get an extra packet of oak- probably medium toast and keep it on hand. Then after the wine has finished fermenting taste it on the racking after clearing. If it doesn't taste oaky enough for you add the extra 3 ounce of oak while bulk aging a while. Taste after two weeks and see if it is enough. If not strong enough yet, taste it weekly until it is to your desired level of oak. It will mellow out after a bit of age in the bottle. Have Fun!

 

[Wade E]

Agree totally!

 

[Jack on Rainy]

seminarian,
I think these kits are short on oak. While Wade and Appleman are much more experienced in winemaking than I, I may have a longer experience tasting wine - until recently- all commercial. My take is these kits need more oak and adding oak does more than adding oak flavor. It changes the feel of the wine on your palate, softens the acid, and make the fruit more complex and less dominant.
I only have experience with Wine Expert and Mosti, with one excursion into the CC orld and one into the RJS world. But from now on w/ WE and Mosti I add oak.