2018 Aeris Centennial Mountain Vineyard Bianco [JG94][JD92] WINE

Producer: Rhys Vineyards  
Region: Sonoma County, California 
Varietal: Carricante  
Year: 2018 

John Gilman, 94 Points 

“The 2018 Bianco “Centennial Mountain Vineyard” from Kevin Harvey’s new Aeris project is composed entirely of Carricante. The 2018 comes in at an even twelve percent octane and offers up a superb aromatic constellation of pear, lemon blossoms, lavender, a dollop of bergamot, stony soil tones, a deft touch of vanillin oak and hints in the upper register of green olive notes that may arrive more fully with further bottle age. On the palate the wine is pure, full- bodied and rock solid at the core, with a great girdle of acidity, fine mineral drive and grip and a long, nascently complex and perfectly balanced finish. This is flat out great juice, which is delicious today, but clearly will continue to blossom and grow with bottle age. I do not have a sense of how ageworthy Carricante will be from California, but all of the constituent components seem in place for this wine to easily last fifteen to twenty years in the cellar. Time will tell. 2021-2040+?.” 

Jeb Dunnuck, 92 Points 

“Beautiful lemon, tangerine, honey, green herbs, and white flower notes emerge from the 2018 Carricante Bianco Centennial Mountain Vineyard, a terrific, richer styled, medium-bodied white with notable balance, nicely integrated acidity, and a clean, crisp finish. A step up over the 2017, it’s another exotic, singular wine from this team that offers loads of character. It’s terrific today, yet I see no reason it shouldn’t evolve for at least 2-4 years, although I have no experience with aged examples of this variety. 2021 – 2025.” 

Winemaker Notes: 

“The early results from Carricante grown at Centennial Mountain have surpassed our expectations, and it seems clear that this remote vineyard is a perfect New World home for this Sicilian variety. The winemaking here is straightforward and the methods are modeled after those we employ for the Aeris Etna Bianco Superiore produced on Mt. Etna. This 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. The Bianco bottling is meant to be an earlier drinking Carricante, although we expect it to have a long, robust life. It highlights the terrific complexity and versatility of Carricante. One of Carricante’s great attributes is that it complements a much broader range of food compared to Chardonnay while offering similar complexity and interest. Customers loved the 2017 bottling of this wine and we feel this 2018 is a great leap forward for Carricante in California.” 

Alcohol: 12% 

*Price and availability in store may vary. Vintage date may differ from pictured.