After receiving such a strong reception from our debut release last year we decided to continue producing our Blanc de Noir. Again, we sourced the majority of this fruit from a section of the Arbre Vert Vineyard, planted to the 115 clone, that tends to lag behind the rest of the vineyard in terms of how it ripens.
Immediately upon arriving at the winery we put the whole clusters into the press and pressed them very gently. The goal was to extract as much good tasting juice from the grapes without pulling out any color. We placed this juice into one ton bins, let it settle for a day, and then drained it to a combination of stainless steel and older oak barrels. There the wine fermented and went thru partial malolactic fermentation. We kept it in these vessels until May when we bottled it.
So, what does this unique wine taste like? First off, it is surprisingly, remarkably good. Ryan Zepaltas, our very talented assistant winemaker, thought this was the craziest idea we had ever possessed. Now, the Blanc de Noir is his favorite Novy white wine. It possesses some of the midpalate
weight and richness of Chardonnay but with exceptional acidity. The nose, however, is a bit more exotic with hints of orange and cherry fruits. Quite frankly, it smells more like Marsanne or Rousanne but, combined with the weight and fruit flavors, it ultimately is its own uniquely wonderful wine.
