Web Williams > wrote in message .com>...
> 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.

In my book, adding 8 ounces of oak is kind of wrong, but more to
follow.

>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.

Oak will add some tannin but will also add a lot of flavor from the
oak. Probably more than I care for, but it will lessen over time in
bottle.

> 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.

An oak barrel on top of the oak you've already added? Way to much for
me. Most of the top Bordeaux houses would shudder at even 100% new
oak, never mind double oaking like this. Of course some California
vintners can take oak to amazing levels.
>
> 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.

I think the powdered grape tannin will give you want you want without
creating "liquid oak in a bottle". It should provide the astrigency
you're looking for without affecting the taste too much.

>
> 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?

Probably not. It does add some, but my (very) limited experience with
kits is very little tannin from the grapes makes it through to the
wine. Powdered tannin will probably give you what your looking for.

>
> Am I confusing dryness with astringency?

Well, yes and no. We generally use dryness to indicate the lack of
sugar in the wine, but tannin will cause a drying sensation in the
mouth. Even a wine with Residual Sugar can have the drying sensation
if the tannin are high and a completely dry wine can lack that drying
sensation if the tannin is lacking. The latter can appear almost sweet
(due to the alcohol) even if there is no residual sugar.

>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

Andy