WineXpert Not enough Oak?

[TeamKA]

Do you find that the WE Selection series kits (Cabs / Shiraz / ect) lack oak flavor like your store bought wines... if you oak as per their directions?

We put our Cab Sav against a $20 bottle from the store and you could instantly tell the lack of oak. Let me say though that our wine was only aged 6months vs the store wine aged nearly 2 years.... Will the oak flavor come out with age or is it lack of contact time with the oak?

Do you add additional oak? if so at what stage and for how long?

 

[robie]

It is my experience that few (if any) of the kit makers oak their kits as much as their commercial equivalents. Some folk like oak more than others. Kit makers have to guarantee their kits, so they tend to be very cautious about possibly over doing it.

During bilk aging, I typically add a lot more oak to my kits.

 

[TeamKA]

Do you leave it on the oak then for 2 months? 6 months? before racking it off and then age some more or just leave it go?

 

[robie]

I am using the small oak cubes right now. In bulk aging, I add about 8 to 10 cubes and let it set about two weeks. Then I taste it. If it needs more time, I wait another month or so, then taste again.

Depending on how much oak you like, 8 to 10 may not be enough. I'd start with that much and add more cubes if you find it is just not getting to where you like it.

The idea is to taste for oak on some regular basis and remove it when it's right. Let the oak stay on the wine until the wine just slightly starts tasting over oaked. At that point, remove the oak. After the wine further ages for a few months to a few years, the oak will back off just a little from being "slightly over oaked" to beng just right.

You are going to have to experiment to find your own preference. Just try it, you'll have fun learning!

 

[djrockinsteve]

I use juice for my wines, not a kit but I oak with american medium toast oak chips. My Cabs., Merlots I add 2 cups of oak (5 gallons) after clearing and let it bulk age 10 months. My other reds I use 1 cup of oak. Same length of time.

To each his own. My family and friends like a good oaked wine. Start off on the lighter side and sample in a few months. You can always leave it in there or add more. If you over oak you will have to blend your wine to remove the over oak taste.

 

[Dugger]

I have added cubes ( usually Hungarian) and spirals to some reds for a period of 3-6 months. I have read however, that cubes give up all their contribution after 3 months; no info on spirals or chips but I would think they would be no more.
djrock - do you find a difference beyond the 3 months? I didn't sample mine during the aging so couldn't tell if there was a difference at 6 months vs 3 months.

 

[djrockinsteve]

I have added cubes ( usually Hungarian) and spirals to some reds for a period of 3-6 months. I have read however, that cubes give up all their contribution after 3 months; no info on spirals or chips but I would think they would be no more.
djrock - do you find a difference beyond the 3 months? I didn't sample mine during the aging so couldn't tell if there was a difference at 6 months vs 3 months.

Dugger, Over the years Ihad not sampled the wines after I prepped them for bulk aging so I do not know if 3, 6 or 12 months makes a true difference.

This year I will rack after clearing at 4 weeks, (instead of 6) add oak pinch k-meta then once or twice over the year I will stir up the oak and the fine lees that settle out over time. I have heard that this adds some flavor to the wine especially Chardonnay, (I don't oak my whites, maybe I should some a little. Jury's still out on that.)

I want to cange out my airlocks with fresh k-meta and keep them clean. Just being anal.

 

[robie]

Cubes will not last forever; contact george at finevinewines and he can tell you how long extraction will take place in cubes, as well as other types of oak.

teamKA,
What the others recommend should work fine. If you use their time lines you will have a well oaked wine. However, not knowing your specific tastes, I would still experiment. They know from experience that one can leave the oak in for X months without over doing it. You do not have that experience, "yet". So, take it slow until you do.

Also, research has shown that by six months after the oak has been removed, the level of oak WILL backoff a little. That's why some (certainly not all) experienced home wine makers recommend to oak it just a little longer. If you have any doubts about that, don't sweat it; when the oak is just right, remove it from your wine.

Just have fun with it!

 

[jdeere5220]

Do you find that the WE Selection series kits (Cabs / Shiraz / ect) lack oak flavor like your store bought wines... if you oak as per their directions?

I agree these kits tend to be less oaky than commercial wines. Sometimes I think it's because they have less to hide! Seriously I think it's a preference, and my opinion some of the least expensive commercial wines use very heavy oak to cover up and overpower the other flavors of the wine (Leaping Horse and Night Harvest merlots are two that I would put in this category, all you can taste is oak!).

So I wouldn't consider this a flaw necessarily, just a style thing. I guess that's one of the benefits of making your own wine, you can adjust this to your preference. What one might consider "too much" another might consider "just right".

 

[TeamKA]

Thank you all for your thoughts on this. I think when I return from my Wedding / Honeymoon in a few weeks I'll try some oak cubes in my next kits.