OG and SG question

[B_Lines]

I've done a few beer batched but tomorrow is going to be my first Cider. I'd like something a little sweeter. The guy at the LHBS suggested I use red star cote des blancs so i picked up a pack of that. That yeast says it stops working around 12-14% I was wondering if i added a lot of sugar to make my OG really high, like 1.090 could i just let that go untill it: A, reaches its max and is killed by the alcohol. or B, pasturize it at around 1.010. My thinking is that there would still be some unfermented sugars which would make it sweeter. I'm I just making stuff up or am I on the right track?

Also I havent seen anyone taking about starters. I rehydrated the yeast and made a started with 1/4tsp of nutrient and 2tsp of cane sugar just to get it going. Its on the stirplate now. Was that even needed?

 

[dinnerstick]

if you are going to pasteurize maybe cold crash first to get as much yeast and gunk out of suspension and slow down the ferment which may be really chugging along
not speaking from experience but i have read many people reporting that their yeast happily goes way beyond the hypothetical alcohol tolerance when conditions are good