WineXpert Sur Lie Aging a Red

[zehnmm]

Hello everyone!


We plan to purchase, in the very near future, a WE Washington Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc/Merlot.


We are contemplating a bit of sur lies aging on this wine. After searching not only this forum but elsewhere on the internet,I still have a few questions that I did not find answers to from the searches.


If we decide to employ sur lies aging on the above red wine, exactly when after primary fermentation do we do this? For example, can we do this technique after 10 days in the secondary? (I.e., kind of like the Buttery Chard technique --- add 1/4 tsp kmet, top off, but without stirring.) Or should the process be conducted later on, but still before fining, etc.?


Should we even consider this at all on the WE CF/Merlot red?


By the way, we plan to add 3 oz. of medium toast French oak cubes and taste weekly in some bulk aging in a carboy prior to bottling.


Thanks for your thoughts!



Regards,


Steve

 

[JimCook]

Steve,
Purely on the oaking standpoint, if you are going to oak the kit with the supplied oak in addition to the French medium toast cubes, it may be better to useone ounce instead of three - it allows for a more 'gentle' oaking and will give you more control over the point at which you are ready. This will also replicate the surface area to volume ratio closer to a 30-gallon barrel instead of a 5-gallon barrel.


- Jim

 

[zehnmm]

Steve,
Purely on the oaking standpoint, if you are going to oak the kit with the supplied oak in addition to the French medium toast cubes, it may be better to useone ounce instead of three - it allows for a more 'gentle' oaking and will give you more control over the point at which you are ready. This will also replicate the surface area to volume ratio closer to a 30-gallon barrel instead of a 5-gallon barrel.


- Jim

Hello Jim. Thanks very much for this tip! I will seriously take that into account.


Regards,


Steve