A superb follow up to our first Chardonnay vintage, this 2020 De Novo commands any room and palate. Enjoy the zippy acidity, mouth-coating white peaches and cream with aromas of chamomile and star jasmine.
This wine received 90 points in Wine Enthusiast.
Meet aromas of chamomile and star jasmine up front, with a touch of stone fruit. The palate is expansive and mouth-coating white peaches and creams, backend by pronounced, maritime minerality and plenty of zippy acidity to help the wine stand up to dishes from shellfish to roasted chicken. This Chardonnay is from 1 acre of Robert Young clone. This Clone is known for a viscosity and richness that is quite distinctive and readily apparent in the glass. While remarkably accessible now, this wine should develop quite well over the next 4-7 years.
Pair this chardonnay with cheese, shellfish, roasted chicken, herbs, salads, and sunny days on the back porch surrounded by family and friends.
Our Chardonnay, a signature wine of Aptos Vineyard, is named De Novo, which is latin for ‘to start anew’ and commonly used in law when trials restart.
Winemaker John Benedetti shines in this vintage. Winemaker notes: Pressed 50% whole cluster and 50% destemmed to tank and chilled to 40ºF for 2 days to clarify the juice. Racked to a different tank and allowed to begin a native fermentation. Fermented at 62º, slowly until the last stage, to promote fresh fruit aromas. Barreled down with the lees at 7º brix and slowly finished in barrel. Aged sur lie, with batonnage every 2 weeks until January. Sur lie aging continued until August, when the wine was racked and moved to neutral barrels for aging until February of 2022, when it was crossflow filtered and bottled.
Our fruit hails from Lester Family Vineyards in Corralitos. We are honored to use fruit from this celebrated family vineyard in Corralitos. Sitting at 500 feet elevation on Pleasant Valley Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains, fruit from this vineyard is a delight. Influenced by morning fog, temperatures rise during the day, providing excellent conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit.
