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 5 g/L dosage using organic beet sugar.