# Sangiovese and oak



## Matty_Kay (Dec 24, 2014)

Has anyone used oak on Sangiovese? Just curious as to toast levels, French/American/Hungarian etc. I just added 1/2 ounce of medium toast French oak cubes to 5 gallons of Sangiovese. A rather small amount but I over oaked a Merlot last year so am real hesitant to make the same mistake again. Any thoughts are certainly appreciated.


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## roger80465 (Dec 24, 2014)

Wise to be cautious. I used about 3 oz American heavy chips on a World Vineyard Sangiovese and it was seriously over oaked. Your addition is small so leave it for 6 weeks or so and then taste again. If you want more, you can add it then. In fact that is a good way to set your own guage for oak preference. Remember, like salt in a recipe, you can always add more but you can't take it out.


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## Matty_Kay (Dec 24, 2014)

My thoughts exactly, with my over oaked Merlot I used American medium plus in spiral form. For this batch of Sangiovese I added 17 cubes which from what I have read is equivalent, or close, to 1/2 ounce.


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## JohnT (Dec 29, 2014)

Matty_Kay said:


> Has anyone used oak on Sangiovese? Just curious as to toast levels, French/American/Hungarian etc. I just added 1/2 ounce of medium toast French oak cubes to 5 gallons of Sangiovese. A rather small amount but I over oaked a Merlot last year so am real hesitant to make the same mistake again. Any thoughts are certainly appreciated.


 
San Gio on oak? Heck Yeah!!!! 

Good choice on the type of oak and the level of toast.

A 1/2 ounce for a 5 gallon carboy? I think that this may be overly cautious and I doubt that you will taste the difference. 

IMHO, I would recommend that you apply 4 ounces minimum for a period of 4 to 6 weeks.

How much did you use on your over oaked merlot (and for how long)?


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## joeswine (Dec 29, 2014)

*Sangiovese part2*

*sangiovese* and OAK are a partnership in balance and should be conjoined,ph around 3,5/,6 is normal _*French oak*_ or_ *Hungarian oak*_ would be the most likely suspects to use but oak is also a matter of _taste_ and that is dependent on the winemaker .I use at least 1 cup per 6 gallons for at least 2 /4 weeks along with wine tannins in the *secondary *to round out the body and structure of the wine .At least that's my way.


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## Matty_Kay (Dec 29, 2014)

Thanks for the response John. For the over oaked Merlot, I used 1 medium plus American oak spiral for 4 weeks. It was just too much for my taste and never really faded over time. It kinda spooked me a bit about adding oak. Thats why I took it real easy with this batch but I can add more if need be. But, I'm glad the combo of oak and Sangiovese can be a winner.
Joe- thanks so much for the insight, I follow your posts and think it's awesome in that you share your knowledge in detail and I love the thinking outside the box approach to wine making. Thanks!!


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## tonyt (Dec 30, 2014)

I'm with JohnT. The French oak is the proper choice, I usually add about three ounces of French cubes or 2 spirals after a trip through a Hungarian oak barrel. Keep in mind that the oak will diminish in time, so feel free to oak just past your comfort level. And keep good notes.


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## Matty_Kay (Dec 30, 2014)

Thanks Tony, I'm glad French oak has proven to be successful.


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