Wine Results to Date

[K&GB]

Since I've been away from the forum awhile, I thought I'd post my impressions of the wines I've made since starting this hobby in 2007. My hope is that I'll get some feedback on some of my not-so-good's.
The first two reds I made in 2007 were a 23L Cab (not MM) and a 23L Sangiovese (MM). After much angst over oak additions, bad smells and taste, I blended these two wines together at bottling and called it Romance Red. It started improving at around the one year mark, and became really good at two. I opened one of last two bottles last week and it was excellent. Incidentally, I bottled four each of the Cab and Sangiovese unblended. While the Cab turned out fairly good, the Sangiovese never did.
My next red was the CC Super Tuscan, fermented in 2008. Followed the kit directions to a tee, but three years later this one is still not very good. It has improved and is starting to develop a decent bouquet and some berry flavors, but it still has a residual smokey oak smell and a tangy-bitter off-taste that I've come to associate with most young red kit wines.
The 2008 CC Sunset Ridge Syrah was great during bulk aging, but I put in some American oak somewhere along the way and practically ruined it. It's still not drinkable.
Same story with the 2008 EP Cab. During bulk aging, I thought this would be the best wine ever, but like the Syrah and the Super Tuscan, it has that smokey oak smell and bitter-tangy taste. I used a combo of French and American oak on this one. Bad idea I guess.
The 2008 Dashwood New Zealand Pinot Noir is a complete disaster. The only deviation I made from kit directions was withholding the anti-wine diamond chemical and instead putting it in the fridge for a month or so- lots of crystals. But this one has never tasted good, and I doubt it ever will. Someday I plan to uncork it all to salvage the bottles.
The last 2008 I made was the CC Argentinian Malbec. Again, very promising during bulk aging, but disappointing after bottle aging. This one is coming around with some blueberry notes, but there's still some residual bitter-tangy taste. I don't think I oaked this one at all. Oh, and the day after opening a bottle, this wine becomes very pleasant.
In 2009 I made both the CC Cab-Merlot and the CC Amarone. I oaked both heavily with a combo of French and Hungarian cubes. Both wines are good today, and the Amarone is the best wine I've made to date. Everyone sems to like the Amarone, and it's my youngest red.
So those are my red results over the past four years. Anyone have similar or different experiences?
Ken

 

[Wade E]

What kind of oak products have you been using. I myself prefer the Oak-Mor oak dust now. Ive used it and split 2 batches up now and tested them side by side against cubes and must say the dust has a much better oak taste to it that simulates barrel aging much better. It also works a lot faster so you must beware of that but its actually easier as you add a small amount, let it sit a few days and taste it and add more if needed instead of waiting weeks and forgetting about it. Its also a lot easier to fit in the carboy.

 

[K&GB]

Wade,
I've never heard of Oak Mor dust. Sounds interesting. I used standard oak chips- French, Hungarian, oh and some American oak staves- which is where I think most of my trouble came from. Most of the oak chips came with the kits, but I supplemented with extra that I bought from George. It was using those American oak staves mid-way through bulk aging that seems to have really changed the flavor profile of several of my wines. But on the Super Tuscan, I'm pretty sure I only used the Hungarian oak chips that came with the kit.
Ken

 

[K&GB]

I've made a number of white wine kits too, and had mixed results there as well.
My first WE Viognier was great, as was the MM Riesling and Gewurtztraminer, and the CC Gruner Veltliner. But I made three high-end whites in the Winter and Spring of 2010 that I bottled before I left for Afg in August, and none of these turned out to be good upon my return in Feb 11. I made the CC Chardonnay, Viognier, and Riesling, each of which came with a flavor pac that I added after stabilization. I didn't use oak with any of them, but I did age them a while in a refrigerator, and they all threw crystals. After bottling, these wines seemed okay, and I expected them to improve with 6-7 months more age, but when I returned and tasted them, I was really disappointed. Maybe I was too careless with oxygen exposure, but certainly no more so than my previous whites. The only differences I can think of with these is the cold stabilization in the fridge and filtering through my mini-jet at bottling.
Has anyone else made these kits and had better luck?
Ken

 

[joeswine]

the bitter taste your getting with the reds is acids,combined with tannin acids sometimes can be harsh and have off taste balance is whats needed,no need for cold fermentation process these are kits and chemically not designed for the stress,ambient conditions and time should be enough.layering the oak is a very good Idea ,read when good wines gone bad ,somewhere in the benining,also when using oak I stay with the french a more stable tannic,the layer with the dust,if your going away for a while make sure your topped off,either with wine or nitrogen,as I do ,not to worry there,stay in touch we can work it out I garranntee.