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.