Other Who Makes the Best Kit Cab?

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

NoSnob

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
238
Reaction score
25
After about 10 WE kits, almost all SE, I want to try other brands. I am especially interested in a great rich cabernet sauvignon and would like your opinion. I prefer high-end kits and don't mind waiting to age them. What would be your recommendation for another brand of cab sauv kit? I suspect the kits with wine skins is what I'm looking for.
Thanks

NS
 
I'm not a Cab fan, so haven't made any of these, but based on forum comments, I would say that these are the top ones (in alpha order)...

  • Cellar Craft Showcase Red Mountain Cabernet
  • RJ Spagnols Cellar Classic Winery Series California Cabernet Sauvignon
  • RJ Spagnols En Primeur Coastal Cabernet Sauvignon

Steve
 
I also give a vote for RJS Winery Series Cab Sav.

Ask me this time next year and I will give you my thoughts on their En Primeur Cab
 
I have a RJ Winery series cab on deck as soon as I have a free primary. Upon inspecting the kit and discovered it only comes with one pack of oak sawdust.

That seems to be a really small amount of oak for a cab.
 
UBB, I like a good oakey Cabernet Sauvignon so I made the kit per instructions and then ran it through my oak barrels for 8 weeks. If you do not have barrels, you can add oak cubes or a spiral during bulk aging.
 
The CC Red Mountain and the RJS EP Cabs are very different but both are very nice. The RJS EP is probably a little "bigger" cab, maybe not quite as fruity as the Red Mountain.

You can't go wrong with either.

Hey, make both!!! :dg
 
Im pretty sure the Cellar Craft Red Mountain Cab is a kit that people love also, I remember for awhile they were very hard to get and people were not very happy about that!
 
Thanks for the great suggestions all. Thought you may be interested in rankings of results of the Dec. 2011 Winemaker magazine ranking of the judged Cabernet Sauvignon wines made from kits. Their rankings within the 100 of all kits judged are shown here in parentheses. Results are as follows:

WE SE Lodi Ranch 11 Cab Sauv (3)
CC Showcase Red Mountain Cab Sauv (15)
RJS Hightail Okangan Cab Sauv (30)
WE SE Ltd Ed S African Cab Sauv (45)
MM Del Veneto Cab Sauv (79)
WE SE Sonoma Valley Cab Sauv (99)

I'm not looking to kick off discussions about how valid their published results are because the results must be understood in terms of the rules of the competition. I also understand that just because a wine kit is not listed here does not mean it's not capable of making excellent wine. And let's face it, I may not even begin to be able to make wines from these kits like these entrants; or then again maybe I could. FWIW: I have recently bottled the WE SE Lodi Ranch 11 Cab Sauv but it's too early to predict.

Perhaps though their list is useful in a general way. (I have used it to pick whites and there were some real winners.)

NS
 
Thanks for the great suggestions all. Thought you may be interested in rankings of results of the Dec. 2011 Winemaker magazine ranking of the judged Cabernet Sauvignon wines made from kits. Their rankings within the 100 of all kits judged are shown here in parentheses. Results are as follows:

WE SE Lodi Ranch 11 Cab Sauv (3)
CC Showcase Red Mountain Cab Sauv (15)
RJS Hightail Okangan Cab Sauv (30)
WE SE Ltd Ed S African Cab Sauv (45)
MM Del Veneto Cab Sauv (79)
WE SE Sonoma Valley Cab Sauv (99)

I'm not looking to kick off discussions about how valid their published results are because the results must be understood in terms of the rules of the competition. I also understand that just because a wine kit is not listed here does not mean it's not capable of making excellent wine. And let's face it, I may not even begin to be able to make wines from these kits like these entrants; or then again maybe I could. FWIW: I have recently bottled the WE SE Lodi Ranch 11 Cab Sauv but it's too early to predict.

Perhaps though their list is useful in a general way. (I have used it to pick whites and there were some real winners.)

NS

Yep, lots of factors involved. About all that list can be used for is a reference for wines to consider. Lots of it has to do with how many of the stated kits were entered in the first place.

For instance, nothing about this should make one assume a WE SE Lodi Ranch 11 Cab Sauv (3) is a better kit wine than a MM Del Veneto Cab Sauv (79) or a WE SE Sonoma Valley Cab Sauv (99).

Thanks for the posts.
 
FWIW, I asked George from FVW about the Mosti Mondiale Master's Edition Cab Kit.

This was his response:

"The Masters Cab with the Grape Pack is one of the best wine kits I sell! It is full-bodied, deep and full of traditional black currant flavors. It does take about 9-12 months to develop. I really like the Mosti products, but I will add that if you want to save a few bucks, both the Red Mountain Cab from Cellar Craft and the Cabernet Sauvignon w/ Cab skins - California in the Winery Series are very good as well. We don't hear anything but good reviews from these 3 cab kits."
 
FWIW, I asked George from FVW about the Mosti Mondiale Master's Edition Cab Kit.

This was his response:

"The Masters Cab with the Grape Pack is one of the best wine kits I sell! It is full-bodied, deep and full of traditional black currant flavors. It does take about 9-12 months to develop. I really like the Mosti products, but I will add that if you want to save a few bucks, both the Red Mountain Cab from Cellar Craft and the Cabernet Sauvignon w/ Cab skins - California in the Winery Series are very good as well. We don't hear anything but good reviews from these 3 cab kits."

Ive been making high end kits now for 5-6 years and while i found the Mosti Mondiale kits including the Meglioli range to be very pleasing , there definitely nothing special for the price , if your looking for a kit as good or better try RJ Spagnols or Wine Expert , im afraid i cant justify spending $200+ on a kit anymore while aforementioned kits are half the price.
 
I must say Ive had the pleasure of having a bottle of the Mosti Meg Barolo and it was by far the best bottle of wine Ive ever consumed but I just cant get myself to spend that seriously obsurd amount on a wine kit!
 
After about 10 WE kits, almost all SE, I want to try other brands. I am especially interested in a great rich cabernet sauvignon and would like your opinion. I prefer high-end kits and don't mind waiting to age them. What would be your recommendation for another brand of cab sauv kit? I suspect the kits with wine skins is what I'm looking for.
Thanks

NS


Haven't made the RJS series......yet. But I did make the Cellar Craft Red Mountain Cab......twice. It is that good..
Kathie
 
Just ordered the RJS Delu Ranch Woodbridge En Primeur Cab. Has to be worth it as long as the name is!!
 
Thread Update: On the much appreciated advice of so many of you, I ordered from George my first Cellar Craft, the Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. It was out of stock, backordered, but he came through and I have now received it but have not yet begun.

Any recommendations about substitute yeasts, top-up wine, carboy aging time or other tweaking?

NS
 
Any recommendations about substitute yeasts, top-up wine, carboy aging time or other tweaking?
  • substitute yeast - something I'm not fussy about doing - what yeast came with the kit?
  • top-up wine - Cab Sauv of course (or lacking that merlot)
  • carboy aging time - lengthy - a year?
  • other tweaks - how much oak comes with this kit? - if you love oak, you could oak in caboy
Steve
 
Steve, I just opened it to answer your questions. It comes with Lalvin EC-118 and several oak packages (30g of french medium oak chips, 30g of french heavy oak chips, and 100 g of european oak cubes). It also has a grape skins kit and the usual fining agents and sulfites.

What are your thoughts about using all the oak and the yeast that came with it?
NS
 
I have made two of these in three years. This kit is fantastic but just remember it will take 18mo to get there. It is commercial quality all they way at 24mo. Be careful with yeast substitution you need to monitor fermentation closer than EC-1118 for sure. If you do I would try either Bordeaux Red or perhaps D47. You might also try some Booster Rouge. If you like a bit more tannin then a middle range dose of Tancor Grand Cru works wonders to bump up the tannin level.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top