Sparkling Clairette Blanche 2022

TASTING NOTES

Inspired by the sparkling wines of the Clairette de Die AOC these bubbles are bright and fresh. Leading with Granny Smith on the nose but given time to open up we’re rewarded with aromas of key lime pie, white flower petal, and honey dew rind. No dosage added means this wine has searing acidity, but in typical clairette fashion ends supple and broad on the palate with an airy mousse on the mid palate.

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. Starting out moderate and promising, 2022 brought an unforgiving hot spell during harvest that sped up ripening and condensed the vintage.

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 which is especially important in a sparkling 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 was fermented cool in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to preserve pure fruit expressions. Bi-weekly bâtonnage was done prior to tirage bottling which followed the traditional method for secondary fermentation. This wine stayed en tirage for 14 months prior to disgorgement and no dosage was added.