Winexpert Lodi cab - more oak?

ScottyB · Apr 16, 2013

I am going to bulk age my Winexpert Lodi Cab. Currently I have just finished stabilizing and clearing and have racked it for clarification. The instructions said to add 1/4t of metabisulphite if bulk aging more than 6 months. The wine looks good and tastes good but I would prefer more of an oak flavor. Can I add oak to this now to obtain more oak flavor? So far for my first kit this is going well. Next up I am thinking of the Chilean Malbec Juice that is becoming available soon

tonyt · Apr 16, 2013

Short answer is yes you can. If thats the Eclipse kit I just started it three days ago. It came with tons of Hungarian oak (for a kit). I am an oak monster but don't plan to add oak to this kit. If I do it will be at the end of several months of bulk aging. It may spend some time in my neutral barrel. I would/will go slow on this.

novalou · Apr 16, 2013

ScottyB said:
I am going to bulk age my Winexpert Lodi Cab. Currently I have just finished stabilizing and clearing and have racked it for clarification. The instructions said to add 1/4t of metabisulphite if bulk aging more than 6 months. The wine looks good and tastes good but I would prefer more of an oak flavor. Can I add oak to this now to obtain more oak flavor? So far for my first kit this is going well. Next up I am thinking of the Chilean Malbec Juice that is becoming available soon

Add oak once your wine is clear. Chips, cubes, or spirals. Choose your oak wisely and add a little at a time. I added 4oz of American oak chips to my Cab and it turned out great!

ScottyB · Apr 17, 2013

Thanks folks for the insight. Yes it is the Eclipse Kit. As I said I am going to bulk age it. When I rack again in 3-4 months I'll see how it has progressed and then add more oak if needed.

robie · Apr 17, 2013

Scotty,

Don't hesitate to add more oak if you prefer your wine with a little more oak.

When you add more oak, taste the wine every week or so, depending on how big a dose (quantity) of oak you add. The bigger the dose the ore often you should sample the wine.

Leave the oak on the wine until it just starts tasting as though you have slightly over-oaked the wine, then remove the oak source. The reason for slightly over oaking is because over a few months the oaking level will tend to back off a little.