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Jose' Miller

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I am new to wine making and started with some cheaper kits and some fruit bases. I just can't find the taste I prefer. I love a nice dry Merlot with an oak tannin bite. I am not experienced enough for figuring out what I want. Do you have suggestions for a good quality Merlot kit for a nice dry wine with a oak tannin bite? Is there a good kit out there to give me what I want? Are there adjustments to a specific kit that will give me the wine I'm looking for? I just can not get use to a sweet or even semi sweet wine. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
@Jose' Miller My suggestions are:
-Add oak during fermentation
-Add more oak during clearing/aging
-Use a kit that has grape skins or add grape skins
-Ferment to dry 0.090ish
-Add tannin powder if you don't have access to grape skins
 
I like the Eclipse Napa Valley Stag's Leap District Merlot with Grape Skins Wine Kit by Winexpert
 
Adding some sugar up front will increase your ABV and make the wine finish with a more dry taste. I like my dry reds close to 15% ABV. Good luck.
 
I concur with the Eclipse Stag's Leap...if you want to go a little cheaper try the Winexpert Intl French Merlot. Lot of oak in that kit. Also, the LE New Zealand (Hawkes Bay) Merlot which I have clearing looks good if you can find it anywhere.
 
Eclipse Stags Leap Merlot is what you are looking for, it will need about 2 years to fully age.
 
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