CHARDONNAY

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Hand-harvest Chardonnay grapes early in the morning when temperatures are cool and the grapes show balanced sugar (~12–13.5°Brix) and good acidity (target TA ~6.5–7.5 g/L). About 1500 kg yields roughly 1,000–1,050 L juice.

Harvest timing

Sort fruit in the vineyard and again at the winery to remove underripe, overripe, or damaged berries. Keep clusters whole to limit phenolic extraction if seeking bright minerality.

Immediately press whole clusters using a pneumatic press with a gentle cycle: slow fill, low pressure up to ~0.6–0.8 bar for free-run juice, then slightly higher for press fractions. Collect free-run and light press fractions separately to preserve purity and minerality for the base wine.

Cold settle the juice at 8–10°C for 12–24 hours to clarify. Rack off heavy lees into a clean vessel.

Test must for pH and titratable acidity. If needed, adjust acidity with tartaric acid sparingly (example 8 g total for this batch) to target balanced acidity (pH ~3.1–3.4). Record adjustments.

Add potassium metabisulfite to reach a low SO2 of ~25–30 mg/L total (5 g approximate for this volume) to control microflora during settling. Wait 24 hours before inoculation.

Heat the juice to about 16–18°C before inoculation. Rehydrate and pitch selected wine yeast (6 g for this batch) according to manufacturer instructions, plus yeast nutrient (15 g) at the onset or in staggered additions to ensure a healthy fermentation.

Divide juice between stainless steel for a portion (approx. 50–70%) to preserve primary fruit and mineral character, and medium-toast French oak barrels (6 x 225 L barriques) for the remainder (30–50%) to add richness. Ferment slowly at 14–18°C to retain aromatics and promote a clean, mineral-driven profile.

Allow fermentation to proceed to dryness (~0–2 g/L residual sugar). Monitor temperature and fermentation kinetics daily. If using barrels, perform regular bâtonnage (lees stirring) every 1–2 weeks for the first 2–3 months to build mouthfeel and integrate oak without losing mineral focus.

Decide on malolactic fermentation based on desired profile: to achieve 'Rich yet Mineral' keep a partial malolactic conversion (30–70%) to soften acidity and add creaminess while retaining freshness and minerality. If allowing ML, inoculate with a reliable malolactic culture after primary fermentation, and maintain temperature ~18–20°C. Monitor until desired conversion reached.

Age the wine 8–12 months on fine lees (sur lie) with periodic bâtonnage in barrels and stainless portions to build texture and richness while preserving mineral backbone. Keep barrel contact moderate and avoid heavy new oak to maintain minerality.

Rack the wine off gross lees, and perform bentonite fining if protein instability is a concern (example 20 g for this batch) following bench trials. If tannins or phenolic grip need softening, consider light egg-white fining (2 g equiv) or other approved fining agents.

Cold-stabilize to prevent tartrate crystals: cool the wine to -4 to -2°C for 1–3 weeks depending on volume, then filter or rack off precipitated tartrates. Use a stabilization tank or ice bath as needed.

Adjust free SO2 to a bottling target around 30–40 mg/L (35 mg/L used here). Pasteurization is not necessary if bottling conditions are sanitary and free SO2 is adequate.

Filter to desired clarity and bottle in 750 ml bottles. Use quality corks and allow bottles to rest upright for 24–48 hours, then store horizontally in cool conditions (12–14°C) for initial bottle integration. Expect an initial release after 6–12 months in bottle to show integrated oak and mineral balance, with further development for 3–5 years.

Chardonnay grapes (estate, hand-harvested)

Winemaker-selected yeast (Saccharomyces bayanus or cerevisiae)

Yeast nutrient

Potassium metabisulfite (for SO2 adjustment)

Tartaric acid (if acidity adjustment required)

Sugar (sucrose) — only if chaptalization needed

Bentonite (for protein stabilization, optional)

French oak fermentation/stirring barrels (or 225L barriques) - medium toasted (not an ingredient but vessel)

Cold stabilization tank/ice bath (equipment reference)

Fining agent if required (egg white or PVPP)

Bottles (750 ml)

Corks

Sulfur dioxide target (free SO2 dosing at bottling)

Délice-Solutré-Pouilly Burgundy '23×

Medium body, black plum, brooding black pepper spice and an easy, mineral-laced finish

2023 Malbec: Colomé-Estate, Calchaquí Valley, Salta, Argentina.

Quality sourced from a co-op of growers; lush yet linear & fine; a fresh, complex fabric of flavor.

NV Champagne: EPC - Champagne des ÉPiCuriens-Brut, Montagne de Reims, France

Pure savory silk; dried raspberry, orange oil, shiitake mushroom, star anise, mint, leather

2022 Nebbiolo: La Spinona-Langhe, Piedmont, Italy.

Both lilac floral & black cherry rich, with notable structure and crowd-pleasing ease

2024 Pinot Noir: Flâneur Wines-Estate, Willamette Valley, Oregon.

Perfectly sweet; refreshing, with soft pomegranate flavor and delicate spice

2022 Sweet! Dornfelder: Villa Wolf by Ernst Loosen-Medium Sweet, Pflaz, Germany

Lemongrass, passionfruit, grapefruit, saffron, marzipan, smoke, petrichor... in a word: complex!

2024 Sauvignon Blanc: Domaine Gérard & Hubert Thirot-Sancerre, Loire, France.

Make Délice-Solutré-Pouilly Burgundy '23× Recipe in just 168h . Rich yet Mineral

Délice-solutré-pouilly Burgundy '23× Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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