2017 Aeris Carricante Bianco Centennial Mountain
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Tasting notes
Also all Carricante from the first plantings of this variety in California, the 2017 Carricante Bianco Centennial Mountain offers a light gold hue to go with a more subtle bouquet of white flowers, tart pineapple, crushed citrus, and a kiss of saltiness that shows on the nose as well as the palate. Beautifully balanced and medium-bodied, it opens up nicely with air and has good acidity as well as a clean, crisp finish. It’s a delicious white to enjoy over the coming 2-4 years.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
We planted this Carricante around five years ago," winemaker Jeff Brinkman says. "It sprung from a trip to Italy, and it took a long time to get it into the country. To our knowledge, this is the first-ever Carricante planted or made in California. We made a little before but we didn't release it, so this is the first vintage of our Carricante. We want people to buy this for quality, not as a novelty." The 2017 Carricante Centennial Mountain Vineyard opens with soft notes of white peach, apricot, cashew and melon with dried flowers, pithy citrus, spicy perfume and a stony undercurrent. It's light to medium-bodied, minerally and very lively in the mouth, with juicy acidity and a long, mineral-driven finish. This is very Chardonnay-esque, and I look forward to revisiting this with some bottle age.
The 2017 Carricante Centennial Mountain will be the first wine released from Rhys's Centennial Mountain vineyard in Sonoma. Tasted from cask, the 2017 offers striking textural nuance in a style that is both deeply varietal and yet also imbued with California personality. The 2017 is shaping up to be a real beauty. I can't wait to taste it from bottle.