Clairette Blanche 2023

TASTING NOTES

A rarity in the wine world, this single varietal Clairette Blanche is savory yet bright packed with citrus from start to finish. Nose of salted lemon, candied tangerine, dried violet rounding out with fig and ripe melon. The palate is textural and focused with stone fruit and almond. Try this with an array of cheeses!

VINEYARD NOTES

With 1 acre planted in 2015, it’s easy to identify you’re in a Clairette row with the distinct ovoid shaped berries. This late ripening variety produces loose clusters, making it less susceptible to disease pressures. The Clairette grape is native to the South of France, and with Lodi sharing a similar climate, it thrives here. 2023 was a stunner. A cool, wet vintage provided optimal growing conditions with physiological ripeness occurring at lower Brix and perfect chemistry at harvest.

WINEMAKER NOTES

Everything is hand-picked, hand-sorted, and whole cluster pressed. We harvest in the early morning to capture vital acidity that provides vibrancy to the wine. While a breeze in the vineyard, Clairette demands very specific fermentation conditions, so we have to keep an eagle eye on it at this time. The juice is fermented cool in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to preserve pure fruit expressions. Sur lie aging in tank until bottling aides texture formation.