During the 2020 harvest, we picked Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for our sparkling program. After the initial fermentations, we selected our favorite Chardonnay lot to bottle for the inaugural Blanc de Blancs. Under the beautiful conditions of 2020, the Chardonnay developed larger-than-average, late-maturing clusters. The elevated acidity level made it perfect for this lovely sparkling wine. Once the base wine was chosen, we hand-bottled 300 cases, adding liqueur de tirage to initiate the secondary fermentation. The wine was aged sur lie for over three years before being disgorged and finished in November 2024. During its time en tirage, the wine developed a perfect expression of fruit, with notes of lovely citrus, a hint of lemon, and green Granny Smith apple. The sur lie aging contributed beautiful toasty, brioche notes—simply stunning. Pair this wine with buttermilk fried chicken or herb-marinated fried chicken wings. For a touch of sweet heat, try it with Korean fried chicken featuring a soy marinade or a spicy gochujang glaze. It also pairs wonderfully with seafood, raw or fried oysters. For vegetarians, try tempura vegetables, or for a casual snack, enjoy it with buttered popcorn or tortilla chips and guacamole.