
2018 Blanc de Blancs
Jespersen Ranch
Jespersen Ranch’s ocean proximity and cool climate make it an ideal site to farm sparkling wine grapes. This is our first Blanc de Blancs and we chose to source the Chardonnay grapes exclusively from a block planted to Clone 17 - chosen because of its lower acidity and good flavor at lower sugar levels. We harvested the grapes at 19 brix on August 30th.
After gently whole-cluster pressing the Chardonnay, primary fermentation occurred in a combination of stainless steel tanks and native fermented neutral barrels. In July of 2019, we bottled the wine with a mixture of yeast and sugar for its second fermentation. The bottles then aged on their side for 35 months before being hand-riddled and disgorged in May of 2022. The extended tirage aging and dosage ultimately softened the high natural acidity in the base wine and lead to perfect balance. This is a fresh and clean sparkling wine with citrus, white flowers, honey a hint of brioche.