Toning down oak!

[Elmer]

I have a Brunello (We selection kit), which went from being just oaky enough to close to liquid lumber in a bout a weeks time, while barrel aging.

It is now residing in a carboy, where it has been for a month.
I intend to age it for quite some time prior to bottling , but is there a way to tone it down?
Just a bit?

Does rackin cut down on the oak infusion?
Should I mix it with my next batch of brunello?

Or just learn to love it?

(It is oaky enough for me, but most likely too much for others)


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[MrKevin]

The good news is it will tone down by itself after it ages. It might just turn out to be the best wine you have made. You wont be able to score it for about 2 years. After bottling I would taste after 1 year then after 2. You can blend it, or learn to love it.

 

[ColemanM]

Elmer, what fill number was this for your barrel? My first fill (after a white kit ferment in the barrel) was a Nero D'avola. It stayed in just 3 weeks and was horribly oaky. It has been bulk aging for nearly 7 months now and has drastically pulled back to an amazing fruity lightly oaked wine. However, I do see all the oak remnants sticking to the side and bottom of the carboy. Reminds me I need to rack it now.


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[JohnT]

Elmer,

IMHO, the oakiness will fade a lot quicker in the bottle than in a stoppered carboy.

johnT.

 

[Elmer]

Elmer,

IMHO, the oakiness will fade a lot quicker in the bottle than in a stoppered carboy.

johnT.

Than bottle I shall.
Actually I had 2 glasses out of this batch last night.
The first sip was overly oaky, but after it aired out a bit it was oaky but good.
I am going to let it sit for a month than bottle.


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[ibglowin]

If this went in and out of a small Vadai then no worries. I have had wines in for 3-6 months and the oak was perfect when they came out. I go and taste test before bottling and the oak has subsided to almost nothing. It always seems to fall back (way back) and I end up adding some oak beans or cubes in the carboy a month or two before bottling. Be careful with with oak beans or cubes as they DO NOT seem to fall back all that much.

 

[tonyt]

If this went in and out of a small Vadai then no worries. I have had wines in for 3-6 months and the oak was perfect when they came out. I go and taste test before bottling and the oak has subsided to almost nothing. It always seems to fall back (way back) and I end up adding some oak beans or cubes in the carboy a month or two before bottling. Be careful with with oak beans or cubes as they DO NOT seem to fall back all that much.

Interesting theory, some scientist type should do a controlled study.

 

[Elmer]

3 months later and this wine is still oaky.
It is not a bad oaky, it is just Oak forward if you will.

It is soo oaky that the wine almost seems like super dry!

I may age it much, much longer.

I know with my next batch of Brunello (currently aging on 3 oz of med toast oak cubes) I will not over oak, so I can compare the difference.

Considering my oak barrel is neutral, that should not be that difficult.

 

[tonyt]

Elmer, I have found that I can make a wine more approachable earlier if I add just a touch of simple syrup during aging. I only very seldom do so now as I have lightened up a bit on the additional oak and or tannin. Plus I have two neutral barrels so I can control the oak better with cubes and spirals. Warning! you must bench trial when adding syrup and don't forget to add the Sorbate. Below is my calculations for syrup bench trial. Btw I have found that two to three ounces of syrup handles six gallons of wine for me.
Bench testing for adding sugar/syrup

One 6 gallon carboy has 768 ounces
One ounce roughly equals 600 drops
Pour several 4 ounce glasses of wine
Add 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 drops to each 4 oz glass of wine
Taste and multiply

Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Sample 5
ounces of wine 4 4 4 4 4
drops of sweetner 4 8 12 16 20
One gallon (128 ounces) /4 = 32
Drops x 32 = drops per gallon 128 256 384 512 640
Onces of sweetner per gallon (total drops / 600) 0.21 0.43 0.64 0.85 1.07
Ounces of sweetner per 6 gallon carboy 1.28 2.56 3.84 5.12 6.40
Ounces os sweetner per 5 gallon carboy 1.07 2.13 3.20 4.27 5.33

 

[berrycrush]

is kit wine more susceptible to oak? mine in a barrel over a month barely tastes any oaky at all.

 

[Elmer]

is kit wine more susceptible to oak? mine in a barrel over a month barely tastes any oaky at all.

Yes, it was a WE Selection Brunello kit.
I switch the kit oak cubes from the clarfying stage to the aging stage.
I then had the batch in a new oak barrel for 2 to 4 weeks.

The barolo that is currently in the barrel has been the same barrel since may and is hardly oaked.
So I think the Brunello got the bulk of it.