Aeris Centennial Mountain Vineyard Bianco Rock Pile 2018

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.

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 Carricante featured this month which is the first Carricante to be grown in the U.S!  The winemaking is straightforward, and the methods are modeled after those they employ for the Aeris Etna Bianco Superiore produced on Mt. Etna. The regime includes fermentation with indigenous yeast and aging in a variety of neutral vessels, including 300L stainless steel barrels and large 10 and 25hL oak casks. This California expression is meant to be consumed earlier than those produced in Sicily, but the rich acidity and texture of the wine hint that it would enjoy an enhanced life in your cellar. You are drinking California winemaking history with this wine. It is truly a one-of-a-kind bottling that will undoubtedly become an inspiration for brands to come. If Sicilian varietals take off in Sonoma, we know who to credit!