Montagu Wines 'Silver Ghost' Napa Valley 2023

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

A medium to full-bodied white wine with apple, pear, and citrus flavors.

Harvest 100 kg of ripe Chardonnay grapes. Crush the grapes to release their juice, ensuring that you maintain the skins to enhance color and flavor extraction.

Harvesting and Crushing

Press the crushed grapes to separate the juice from the skins and seeds. Collect the juice in a sanitized fermentation vessel.

Pressing

Dissolve 10 g of wine yeast in a small amount of the collected juice. Allow it to activate for 15 minutes, then add it to the fermentation vessel with the rest of the juice.

Adding Yeast

Cover the fermentation vessel with an airlock and place it in a cool, dark environment. Monitor the fermentation process, which should take about 1-2 weeks, until bubbling slows significantly.

Monitoring Fermentation

After fermentation is complete, add 50 mg/L of sulfites to stabilize the wine and prevent unwanted microbial growth.

Adding Sulfites

If desired, add 5 g of malolactic bacteria to the wine to enhance creaminess. Allow it to ferment for another 2-4 weeks.

Optional Malolactic Fermentation

Add 100 g of oak chips to the wine for aging. This will enhance the flavor profile, giving it depth and complexity. Age the wine for at least 3 months in a cool, dark place.

Aging with Oak

If desired, add 2 tsp of apple essence, 2 tsp of pear essence, and 1 tbsp of citrus zest during the final month of aging to enhance the fruity flavors.

Flavoring

After aging, carefully siphon the wine into sanitized bottles, avoiding any sediment at the bottom of the fermentation vessel. Seal the bottles with corks and label them.

Bottling the Wine

Chardonnay grapes

Yeast (wine yeast recommended)

Sulfites (for preservation)

Water (for dilution if necessary)

Malolactic bacteria (optional for creaminess)

Oak chips (for aging)

Apple essence (optional)

Pear essence (optional)

Citrus zest (lemon or orange)

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Simi Chardonnay

Make Chardonnay Recipe in just 3h . A medium to full-bodied white wine with apple, pear, and citrus flavors.

Chardonnay Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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