Brut Nature 2020
HUGHES VINEYARD
One of the first Divergence wines to be produced, we can finally share the first sparkling wine release with you!
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Hughes Vineyard come together to produce a complex and rich sparkling wine. The ripeness of the vintage allows this wine to be finished fully dry without overpowering acidity.
Aged for 6 months on primary lees and a further 17 months in bottle following secondary fermentation, this wine was disgorged in September of 2022 with no sugar dosage; the same wine was used to top the bottles. Only 600 bottles produced.
Brut Nature 2020
HUGHES VINEYARD
One of the first Divergence wines to be produced, we can finally share the first sparkling wine release with you!
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Hughes Vineyard come together to produce a complex and rich sparkling wine. The ripeness of the vintage allows this wine to be finished fully dry without overpowering acidity.
Aged for 6 months on primary lees and a further 17 months in bottle following secondary fermentation, this wine was disgorged in September of 2022 with no sugar dosage; the same wine was used to top the bottles.
Only 600 bottles produced.
SENSORY PROFILE
Clear and golden with a vigorous mousse, this wine has aromas of granny smith apple, pear, pineapple, and freshly milled grain. The palate is full and soft, with acidity to carry the long, complex finish which adds nuttiness and a slight brioche note to the fruit aromas.
FOOD PAIRINGS
Perfectly suited as an aperitif, this wine will also accompany a variety of charcuterie meats and cheeses and pastry based appetizers. It would also be a great accompaniment to dishes with creamy sauces, although its delicate aromas are easily overpowered by foods with stronger seasonings.
CELLARING POTENTIAL
This wine is ready to drink and will be showing best from 2022-2025, although you may keep it longer if you appreciate aged sparkling wine.
VINTAGE
The 2020 vintage started relatively slow with a delayed bud break. The crop size was slightly smaller than average but overall, there was a reasonable yield. Summer conditions were near ideal with hot and dry weather throughout to allow ideal development.
August saw some near drought conditions which delayed ripening in some areas, but overall harvest occurred with optimal ripeness, and uniquely for a warm vintage in Niagara, also great acidity and freshness across most varieties.
The 2020 vintage is widely considered the best on record in the area, and wines produced from it are of exceptional quality throughout the entire range of styles.
WINE DATA
Variety: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 12.5%
Residual Sugar: 0.4 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 7.9 g/L
pH: 3.18
Tirage Date: 2021-04
Disgorging Date: 2022-09
Production: 600 bottles
VINEYARD AND HARVEST DATA
Appellation: Lincoln Lakeshore
Site: Hughes Vineyard
Soil: Jeddo clay loam
Chardonnay Clone: 95
Pinot Noir Clones: 115, 667, 777
(field blend)
Rootstock: 3309
Chardonnay Vine Age: 2014 planting
Pinot Noir Vine Age: unknown, older
Harvest Dates: 2020-09-04
and 2020-09-05
Yield: 3.5 T/ac
VINIFICATION
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were both harvested from the Hughes Vineyard on September 4 and 5. Each variety was pressed, and the taille (hard press fraction) was combined for fermentation, while the cuvée (highest quality juice) was kept separate. Each portion was fermented in stainless steel tanks at ambient cellar temperature using selected yeast, followed by malolactic fermentation.
The base wines were aged on primary lees for 6 months before racking and blending, followed by coarse filtration to prepare for tirage. The wine was bottled on April 1, 2021 and secondary fermentation was completed within one month. The wine then aged on lees in bottle for 17 months before disgorging in September 2022.
The wine was finished with no dosage, only topping with the same wine and a small amount of SO2 to preserve it.
REVIEWS
“It has an elegant, persistent bead in the glass with a nose of creamy pear, fresh lemon, rich apple, biscuit, and salinity. It’s bright and vibrant on the palate with a rich and creamy texture, apple/pear notes, flinty/chalky notes and lovely freshness and vigour driving through the finessed finish.” 92 points – Rick Vansickle, Wines in Niagara
“It has lively aromas of green apple, pineapple, lemon curd, brioche, toast, and a very clean minerality that adds a lot of freshness. The freshness continues on the acid-driven palate, which is bone dry (0.4 g/L) giving it a racy feel. Despite all the acidity, it also has so much texture going on, with a medium to full body and plenty of persistent, creamy bubbles to give it a lengthy, refreshing finish. Given the incredible quality going on here and that this is the brand’s first ever sparkling, it seems to me this could just be the tip of the iceberg in terms of what’s to come from their sparkling program.” Jacob Gigliotti, IG: @thewine_wiz