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Paddy-O
 
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Default Weak Cab Needs A Lift

Hi... I just subscribed to this newsgroup today. Many posts are very
interesting.

QUICK BACKGROUND
I have about 50 gallons of Red Cabernet wine that is bulk aging.
Several of the grapes that this wine was made from were not fully
rippened. It fact, several were downright 'green' At the time of the
crushing/destemming, my winegroup buddies and I were not versed in how
you can extract more color, tanning, et al, during primary fermentation.
As a result, the extraction colour was very poor. In fact, the cab
has the color, consistency and flavour of a very pale blush. My wife
makes stronger fruit juice for our kids from frozen concentrate than
this years batch of Cab.

In addition to this, I tend to keep my SO2 levels, in all of my wines.
I do this because my wife is quite allergic to any sulfa medications.
Yes... I KNOW the consequences of not using sufficient Campden tablets!

Question:

Another winemaking buddy suggested that I purchase some grape
concentrate in a commercial wine kit and add it to my pathetically weak
Cab. In theory this sounds fine but my Cab has already been oaked for
several months, undergone Melolactic fermentation, finned, and cold
stabilized. It is now just bulk aging. By adding this new concentrate
into my Cab, am I not risking that fermentation will once again occur?
While I have not tested my SO2 levels, I know that they would be low.

Can anyone tell me what the possible benefits as well as risks are?
Remember, I tend to underuse sulfite because of my wife's allergies, but
I am extremely conscious about equipment sterilization/contaminants.

If I do introduce the concentrate, what would be the recommended amounts?

All thoughts are welcome.

Paddy-O
(great newsgroup!)