ELITE BUCKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER ONLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE. ORDERS GENERALLY ARRIVE IN 1-2 WEEKS AND CAN BE PICKED UP AT THE SHOP. ELITE PRODUCTS DO NOT SHIP.
This is a winemaker's dream wine because of its natural affinity to oak. There are so many combinations of different types of oak with so many different toasting styles to be had. This makes for an incredible number of different Chardonnays to choose from and this allows winemakers to become very creative. Our Chardonnay, when "naked," (without oak), shows ripe pear fruit on the nose and it is extraordinarily well balanced. We recommend D-47 yeast, oaking at 200 grams American medium yeast for the primary and 200 grams French medium in the secondary. Enjoy!
The 19.3 Liter Bulk Pail is packaged in a bag n' pail format. Makes approximately 69 Liters/18gallons of finished wine. Each kit contains necessary winemaking components including: recommended yeast, oak and other fining and stabilizing agents. COA is included in each pail.
DETAILS:
- TTB VARIETAL COMPLIANT (CAN BE LABEL AS VARIETAL)
- ASEPTICALLY PACKAGED
- 19.3L OF JUICE (5.09 US GALLONS)
- MAKES 69L (18 US GALLONS) OF FINISHED WINE
- 100% CALIFORNIA VARIETAL JUICE AT 68° BRIX
FAQS:
- Q: SHOULD I KEEP MY US ELITE CONCENTRATE REFRIGERATED?
- A: GRAPE CONCENTRATES, BEING A FOOD PRODUCT WILL CERTAINLY BENEFIT BY BEING REFRIGERATED IF STORED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THEY SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UNREFRIGERATED IF YOU ARE GOING TO KEEP THEM FOR OVER 2 MONTHS BEFORE USING. THE CONSEQUENCES OF EXTENDED EXPOSURE TO TEMPERATURES OVER 75°F. WILL BE A BROWNING OFF ON WHITES AND A SLIGHT COLOR DEGRADATION ON REDS. US ELITE JUICES ARE REFRIGERATED UNTIL ORDERED, THEN CONCENTRATED TO ORDER. THEY DO NOT INVENTORY LARGE AMOUNTS OF KITS OR BLADDERS. PROPER INVENTORY AT THE WINERY LEVEL WILL NEGATE ANY HEAT/AGING PROBLEMS.
- Q: WHY DO THE PH LEVELS IN US ELITE CONCENTRATES APPEAR SO HIGH?
- A: GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATES, WHEN DILUTED AND FERMENTED, RISE IN TA ABOUT 1.2 TO 1.8 GRAMS PER LITER (PARTS PER THOUSAND). THE PH WILL DROP TO PROPER LEVELS DURING FERMENTATION.
- Q: HOW DO US ELITE PRODUCT DIFFER FROM OTHER KITS?
- A: THE WINE KIT INDUSTRY CATERS TO CUSTOMERS WHO GENERALLY BOTTLE THEIR WINE IN FOUR TO SIX WEEKS. IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THIS, THE WINE IS HEAVILY FINED, FILTERED THEN STABILIZED. YOU WILL FIND THAT US ELITE RECIPES FOLLOW THE MORE TRADITIONAL WINE MAKING METHODS.
THE RECIPE CALLS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD IN THE PRIMARY FERMENTER. THIS ALLOWS FOR BETTER FERMENTATION AND ALSO ALLOWS THE PARTICULAR YEAST SELECTED TO ACT ON THE WINE.
YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS ASK YOU TO RACK THE WINE THREE TIMES. BY DOING SO, YOU REMOVE MOST OF THE TARTARATES AND SEDIMENT, MAKING THE FILTERING PROCESS MUCH EASIER. THERE IS NO NEED TO GO THROUGH THE DEGASSING PROCESS.
US ELITE'S OENOLOGIST RECOMMENDS A LONGER OAKING PERIOD. SOME RECIPES CALL FOR PRE AND POST FERMENTATION OAKING, ALLOWING FOR A MUCH DEEPER OAKING EFFECT.
US ELITE GENERALLY DOES NOT ENCOURAGE THE USE OF POTASSIUM SORBATE IN DRY WINES. IF THE WINE HAS FERMENTED COMPLETELY AND IS NOT TO BE SWEETENED THERE IS NO REASON FOR STABILIZING AS LONG AS ADEQUATE AMOUNTS OF SULPHITE ARE ADDED ACCORDING TO THE ELITE RECIPE.
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THE WINES YOU MAKE WILL BE READY TO DRINK IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS BUT WILL CONTINUE TO AGE AND DEVELOP FOR A MUCH LONGER TIME. EXPECT YOUR WHITES TO TOP OUT AT 18 MONTHS AND REDS AT 24 MONTHS, DEPENDING ON STORAGE TEMPERATURE