Mosti Mondiale Alljuice Sangiovese - add tannin?

[MamaJ]

I'm looking online at the Mosti Mondiale website, preparing to start my Alljuice Sangiovese, and I found this paragraph:

Some home winemakers like their wine will enough but when they compare
it to an equivalent ready-made purchase in a wine store, they're a
little disappointed. This usually happens with red wine. They tend to
think that their home cuvée has less "grip" and structure than the
products sold in stores. Fortunately, there is a ready answer and it's
quite simply to add a few teaspoons of grape tannin to the wine. Find
out about it from the merchant at your home wine making supplies store.
He will show you how best to profit from this precious ingredient.

I would love to hear some feedback on this. Has anyone tried it? This kit has no grape skins or raisins, so I thought it might be worthwhile. However, I don't want to mess anything up... Thanks!

 

[ibglowin]

The nice thing about adding tannin is that you can wait for the wine to get pretty far along say 6-9 months and then pull out enough to make a trial sample, mix the proper amount of tannin in for the sample size, wait a few days then try it vs a sample of the wine without the tannin and decide which you like more. You just have to make sure you get your measurements right on your bench test and then when you scale it up for the full carboy if you decide to go with some addition.

My MM AJ Sangiovese is right at 13 months now. I just opened a bottle to top up my Rosso Fortissimo Super Tuscan after racking off the fines and I had about a half bottle left so I had a nice sample in a glass. After about 15 minutes to breath it is as good or better than many of the $10 commercial Sangiovese I have purchased. I noticed a hint of sulfite when first opened but that starts to fade pretty fast with some air. This was made when I was adding sulfite blindly without getting a real SO2 number before hand. I seem to be sensitive these days to sulfite in my wine.

This wine will continue to improve for the next 6-12 months. The tannins are smooth and I think just about perfect. It has a nice amount of acid but not overpowering. The fruit is really starting to show through and there is just a nice hint of vanilla from the oak that was added. I topped off this with a like wine, not water.

 

[Bartman]

I suspect the Mosti website is referring more to the lower end kits that have less juice volume/are more concentrated, which means they have lower total dissolved solids. Those dissolved solids, in a rough manner of speaking, are usually what give the finished wine the structure referenced. The Alljuice kits I have made (including Alljuice Sangiovese May 2009) have not suffered from this problem, although some of the Vinifera Noble kits have been a little on the "thin" side, and might have benefited from adding tannins.

 

[MamaJ]

Thanks, gentlemen! I had no idea that I could wait and add the tannin on the back-end. I suppose I'll just make this one as-is. Plan on starting it today!

 

[ibglowin]

Tannin is an easy way to make a low end kit have more mouthfeel. By far the biggest complaint with lower end kits are that they seem "thin". Adding tannin will help make a thin wine feel much more "fuller" on the palate.

You should not need any extra tannin for an AJ kit. I measured the pH on my MM AJ Sangiovese on Sunday and it dialed in at 3.2! Plenty of acid!

 

[PAwinedude]

Julie,

IMO, I would not add any additional tannins to this kit. I would concentrate on getting the right fermentation temps, stirring this one daily during fermentation and allowing S.G. readings to dictate your racking etc.

If you would like to add more mouthfeel, then perhaps you would consider adding 2lbs of raisins to your bucket. Even this maybe overkill...

These all juice kits are typically very high quality....as such, focusing on the basics, good racking, etc....will yield you a great wine. One other thing to consider is when to add oak.

I prefer to add my oak in the secondary fermentation process. Also, I have had a lot of luck with the oak infusion spirals as opposed to the chips or sawdust.

just my 2 1/2 cents....good luck

 

[MamaJ]

Thanks, PA. I started the kit yesterday with no adjustments.



The only adjustment I'm planning is to rack to secondary at 1.01 rather than 1.04-1.05, asI don't want a volcano. Instructions call for adding yeast nutrient and the oak chips at the time that I transfer - I was going to add these at 1.04/1.05 and then just transfer the oak over to secondary. Anyone have any thoughts on that course of action? Better to just wait and oak at 1.01 in secondary?

 

[AlFulchino]

i am no kit expert...but adding yeast nutrient at rack to secondary?????? why? is the yeast expected to me petering out by that point?

i never EVER use a yeast nutrient but i am not against them in any way shape or form...it would seeeeeeem to me that you would use the nutrient at the outset...i am sure Mike or someone will chime in if i am erring in anyway

 

[MamaJ]

Al, I was a little surprised too, but I've only ever made low-end kits before., so I thought nothing of it.Here's a link to the instructions.


http://mostimondiale.com/InstructionsLaBodegaOAJMEAJMEG.pdf


It's step 7.

 

[ibglowin]

Yep, That is the Mosti instructions. Add nutrient at ~1.04. I think its an insurance policy to ward off any stuck fermentations. Keep the yeastie boys happy.

But, DON'T RACK TO SECONDARY AT 1.04!!!!!!!!!

You will get a wine volcano once you add the nutrient and oak. Trust me on this one, know from experience.

Leave it in primary, add the nutrient, stir it in, it will release a ton of CO2 (wine volcano) and then snap the lid, add the airlock and let it finish to ~1.000. Then do a quick and dirty rack just pour everything in except for anything stuck to the bottom of the Primary and then you can add the oak and let it finish out for another 12 days.

 

[AlFulchino]

ok, just read it...yep...they are wanting to insure that the yeast finishes the job to stay on track w their sort of daily schedule and keep the kit as advertised...ie a seven week kit.....and i agree w Mike...dont rack to a secondary...just no need until it gets in 1.01-1.02 ( my opinion)

so i think that it is a schedule thing more than anything...because there IS NO REASON yeast that is viable will not finish the job its designed to do...if this was grapes...then a slower, long ferment will add numerous benefits...so no rush to get down to the holy grail of dry.....my reason for not going to a secondary now would be that most secondarys are small neck containers and that final push to dry and the oak addition will indeed cause a volcano....if however a wine maker wanted to rack off gross lees for stylistic reasons than i say go for it...but use a more open neck secondary and maybe add some yeast just in case your gross lees carried some goodies away....there are a thousand ways to skin the cat

 

[MamaJ]

Oh, you guys are awesome. I don't have an open-neck secondary so I'll just ferment to dry in the primary, and then rack and add the oak.


Thanks so much!