Blanc de Blancs 2020
HUGHES VINEYARD
From the first vintage for Divergence, this Blanc de Blancs is representative of a vision for Niagara sparkling wine. 100% Chardonnay from the Hughes Vineyard, hand picked, whole cluster pressed and only the cuvée juice was used for this wine at less than 500 L per tonne. Balancing richness from the warm 2020 vintage and barrel fermentation of the base wine with great acidity, this is a powerful wine worthy of cellaring.
The base wine was aged for 6 months on primary lees in old French Oak barrels, followed by 42 months in bottle to build complexity and weight. This wine was disgorged in October of 2024 with a 2 g/L dosage.
Blanc de Blancs 2020
HUGHES VINEYARD
From the first vintage for Divergence, this Blanc de Blancs is representative of a vision for Niagara sparkling wine. 100% Chardonnay from the Hughes Vineyard, hand picked, whole cluster pressed and only the cuvée juice was used for this wine at less than 500 L per tonne. Balancing richness from the warm 2020 vintage and barrel fermentation of the base wine with great acidity, this is a powerful wine worthy of cellaring.
The base wine was aged for 6 months on primary lees in old French Oak barrels, followed by 42 months in bottle to build complexity and weight. This wine was disgorged in October of 2024 with a 2 g/L dosage.
SENSORY PROFILE
Fine persistent bubbles outline this wine in the glass. The aromas are led by citrus and green apple, with some herbal spices and lemon pastry. On the palate the pastry note is reinforced with a brown sugar note and more orchard fruit. Acid is present and well balanced, and the finish is long and concentrated.
FOOD PAIRINGS
This wine works with classic pairings like oysters or hard aged cheeses, but also has substance to stand up to more substantial dishes and would match well with the richness of roast duck or compliment the pure flavours of sushi and sashimi.
CELLARING POTENTIAL
This wine is tight and concentrated and will be clean and less complex if enjoyed now, and likely showing best from 2026 and easily for a decade more.
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: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 12%
Dosage: 2 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 7.8 g/L
pH: 3.11
Tirage Date: 2021-04
Disgorging Date: 2024-10
Production: 593 bottles
VINEYARD AND HARVEST DATA
Appellation: Lincoln Lakeshore
Site: Hughes Vineyard
Soil: Jeddo clay loam
Clone: 95
Rootstock: 3309
Vine Age: 2014 planting
Harvest Date: 2020-09-05
Yield: 3.5 T/ac
VINIFICATION
Chardonnay was hand harvested from the Hughes Vineyard on September 5. The grapes were whole cluster pressed, keeping the cuvée (highest quality juice) separate for this wine. After racking, the juice was transferred to two older French oak barriques for fermentation at ambient cellar temperature using selected yeast, followed by a complete malolactic fermentation.
The base wine was 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 42 months before disgorging in October 2024.
The wine was finished with 2 g/L dosage using organic beet sugar.
REVIEWS
“Sourced from the Hughes Vineyard in the Lincoln Lakeshore, this single-vineyard traditional method sparkling Chardonnay is a textbook example of the precision, complexity, and potential of cool-climate Niagara Chardonnay. Hand-picked and whole-cluster pressed, it balances the richness of the warm 2020 vintage with bright acidity and remarkable finesse. Barrel-fermented and aged six months on primary lees in old French oak before spending 42 months en tirage, it has developed superb texture, elegance, and layered complexity. On the palate, it shines with flinty minerality, salted croissant, and orchard fruit-filled pastry notes, all carried on a refined and elegant frame. A beautifully structured and age-worthy wine, Divergence’s 2020 Blanc de Blancs is a brilliant expression of both site and craft. Hats off to winemaker Jeff Moote — an exceptional wine that will shine bright for many years. Enjoy 2025-2035. Tasted July 2025.” 94+ points – Matt Steeves – www.quercusvino.ca
“This spent from April 2021 to September 2022 on lees, or 18 months, to lend a gently autolytic profile, not overtly toasty-biscuity, but a nice backdrop to the lively citrus-lemon fruit. I like the freshness and crispness on the palate, the taut acids, the sugar-acid balance. Complexity should continue to develop in bottle, and this should hold comfortably another half dozen years. A quality product all in all, and a fine recent addition to the list of impressive Ontario traditional method sparkling wines.” 91 points – John Szabo, MS
“A single (Hughes) vineyard Brut Nature, a.k.a. “Zero Dosage, Brut Zero or Non-Dosé,” which means no sugar is added after the primary fermentation. The grapes are pinot noir and chardonnay for a dry as the desert bubble with loads of complexity out of a sparkling wine program that definitely means to make Ontario waves. The acids are sharp and humming, the citrus preserved and weighty, the texture quite fine and the bitters, but also tonics having checked their overcoats at the door. Can buy into this, get on board and see where this style and progression of a program are heading. Drink 2023-2026.” 90 points – Michael Godel, Wine Align
“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