Aeris Centennial Mountain Vineyard Nerello Mascalese Rock Pile 2019

We often speak of terroir when discussing wine, and the age-old adage comes to mind: "Great wines are made in the vineyard."  These diatribes on terroir frequently focus on soil type and unique compositions, yet there is an equally significant component of terroir: the vineyard's microclimate.  Temperature, rainfall, and marine influence are all factors that contribute to the success or failure of grape growing.  The team behind Rhys Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains founded Aeris (meaning air or climate in Latin) while on a journey to discover why heritage Italian varietals like Nebbiolo, Carricante, and Nerello Mascalese are rarely produced outside of the Mediterranean.  In their search, they revealed one truth: many areas with varying soil types can produce outstanding wines from these fickle grapes, and the common thread between all of these unique vineyard sites is their climate.  After confirming their hypothesis, the next adventure began:  finding a vineyard site in California that rivaled the microclimates of their favored Italian locales.

The specific conditions where these varietals thrive are climates that see cooler days and warmer nights.  Think the opposite of Napa Valley, which experiences warm, even quite hot, daytime temperatures but cools dramatically in the evenings.  Cold days keep the grapes fresh by developing acidity and aromatic complexity, and warm nights allow the sugar and acidity to re-balance and achieve optimal ripeness.  While it was a straightforward path to determining these preferable environments, finding them is a different and more challenging endeavor, as most grape-growing regions experience the opposite diurnal shift.

Part of the research for this project included visiting established vineyards in the Italian regions where Nebbiolo grows best, along with sampling the wines they've produced.  During this process, the Aeris team discovered Carricante and Nerello Mascalese, two varietals indigenous to the Mt. Etna area of Sicily.  In particular, the Nerello Mascalese dazzled them, exhibiting many cherished characteristics of great Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir with ripe red fruit notes and intriguing savory earth tones.  Additionally, it benefited from the same unique microclimate of cool days and warm nights.  

To meet the exacting expectations for microclimate and prime, rocky soils, the Aeris team searched California and selected a ridgetop parcel in northern Sonoma County.  They named the vineyard Centennial Mountain and planted only Italian varietals, including the Nerello Mascalese featured this month.  Using organic practices, they farm the land with precision, care, and thoughtful consideration of the vines and surrounding flora and fauna.    Their precision is evident in the final wine which exhibits clean, expressive red fruit notes, and delicate spice on the palate.  Refreshing acidity meets in the middle with fine tannins making the 2019 Nerello Mascalese a fantastically food-friendly, lighter style red.  We daydream of this quenchable wine paired alongside a seemingly overflowing cheese and charcuterie board.  One sip and we think you will too.