Alcohol: 12.5%
Grape(s): 100% Chardonnay
Localization: Virginia, USA
Tasting Notes: Elegant and suave, with good minerality. Subtle notes of apple, white peach with hints of hazelnuts. Creamy mouthfeel, fine bead, clean and zesty finish.
Notes: The grapes are handpicked in small baskets in late August and are gently pressed as whole clusters. After a settling of 24 hours, the juice is inoculated with selected Champagne yeast and ferments in stainless steel tanks at low temperature. Once the fermentation is over, the wine ages on the fine lees until the spring of the following year.
The blend is then put together and cold-stabilized prior to bottling. The bottling occurs in the spring when the cellar temperature is conducive to a second fermentation in the bottle. The now sparkling wine will age on the yeast for over 24 months. At disgorging, a small amount of dosage liquor is added in order to balance the natural acidity.
The Domain: Thibaut-Janisson was born from a long friendship that began in a Grand Cru village in the Champagne region of France. Thibaut and his friend Manuel Janisson, both from champagne-producing families in the town, started in the family businesses at a young age. When Thibaut came to work in California in 1983, he had already spent a few years working in Australia, and Janisson was looking for some experience working in California. Thibaut arranged for Janisson to come work with him, and the two young men began talking of one day producing a sparkling wine together. About 25 years later, they agreed that Virginia would be the place to do it.
Thibaut came to Charlottesville with his wife in 2003 to consult at Kluge Estate Winery. In 2005, after seeing the potential for Virginia sparkling wine, Thibaut and Janisson began their joint venture, and in 2007 they had the first release of their nonvintage Blanc de Chardonnay. Virginia Fizz sparkling wine followed in the spring of 2011, the X-Tra Brut in 2013, and the Blanc de Noirs in 2015.
The grapes are sourced from the Monticello AVA (American Viticultural Area) as well as from some of the best vineyards in the state of Virginia.
The wines are now produced in Waynesboro, Virginia.
