I'm on the second racking of a "Selection International"
French Cabernet kit, and am wondering if I'm doing
anything wrong, or if I should just be patient. I was
shooting for a really astringent mouthfeel, so I added
8 ounces of oak (4 oz. French medium toast and 4 oz. of
French medium+ toast) at the first racking to try to get
the tannin levels up. My local home winemaking shop hinted
that I was on the right track to increase astringency, but
recommended an oak barrel for a truly astringent flavor.

I have 8 more ounces of oak cubes that I have not used yet
that I -could- add if it would help matters, but I'm thinking
about buying some wine tannin and adding just a tad to see
what happens.

The kit just doesn't taste "dry" to my palate. I would like
the wine almost dry enough to make your mouth pucker at each
sip! I toured Bordeaux and tried many French Cabs and none
of them taste as sweet as this batch of wine. Will ageing
over oak cubes provide the astringency I'm looking for, or
should I go ahead and add some wine tannin?

Am I confusing dryness with astringency? The SG is right on
target, so I'm assuming the kit went off without a hitch
other than it's not as dry-tasting as I want. What say the
experts?

Thanks, -Web Williams in Myrtle Beach, SC