FT Rouge

[hawkwing]

I’m considering getting FT Rouge this year. Is it worthwhile over grape tannin or oak?

Bosagrape has two kinds Regular FT Rouge which is available in chestnut and also woods other than oak and FT Rouge Soft that is selectable for red or fruit wines.

Can anyone give a glowing review and say why it’s good? Which variant should I get for red grape wine? Say mostly Cabernet Sauvignon but if you know what each is best for that would be great too.

 

[anthocyanin]

I have used FT Rouge on dark fruit wines (blackberry, blueberry) with good results, but I haven't used grape tannin or oak as a primary fermentation tannin, so can't really compare though. My local homebrew store has small quantities of FT Rouge so it's convenient for me to use. I was planning on ordering FT Rouge Soft for my batch of Pinot Noir this year (my first wine from grapes!) though I just found out about FT ColorMax so I'll have to read up on that before making my decision.

For Cab I'd use regular FT rouge or maybe not even bother with fermentation tannins since it's already a tannic varietal.

 

[winemaker81]

For Cab I'd use regular FT rouge or maybe not even bother with fermentation tannins since it's already a tannic varietal.

No. If you're not using anything else, use fermentation oak. The tannin in oak precipitates out before natural grape tannin, which is preferred. This is why fermentation oak is called "sacrificial" tannin.

 

[Snafflebit]

I always use FT Rouge in my red wine, at this point it is insurance. I have never been disappointed with the results. But there are other options such as shredded oak for enological tannin. It is protective of the wine during the beginning stage of fermentation where there is a lot of oxygen in the mix.

 

[hawkwing]

Thanks I got some regular FT Rouge to try. Last year I used grape tannin.