by Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 4/30/2021
2018 Aeris Centennial Mountain Bianco
Beautiful lemon, tangerine, honey, green herbs, and white flower notes emerge from the 2018 Carricante Bianco Centennial Mountain Vineyard, a terrific, richer styled, medium-bodied white with notable balance, nicely integrated acidity, and a clean, crisp finish. A step up over the 2017, it’s another exotic, singular wine from this team that offers loads of character. It’s terrific today, yet I see no reason it shouldn’t evolve for at least 2-4 years, although I have no experience with aged examples of this variety. 2021 – 2025. 92.
2018 Aeris Centennial Mountain Barbera
Lots of ripe darker berry fruits as well as violets, candied citrus, and floral notes emerge from the 2018 Barbera Centennial Mountain Vineyard, another perfectly balanced, impeccably made wine you’re going to love to drink. Medium-bodied, with beautiful fruit, plenty of underlying complexity and earthy nuances, ripe tannins, and outstanding length, drink bottles over the coming 3-4 years. 2021 – 2025. 91.
2018 Aeris Centennial Mountain Bricco Rosso
The lighter ruby-hued 2018 Bricco Rosso Centennial Mountain Vineyard offers up a pretty, Nebbiolo-like bouquet of mulled cherries, dried herbs, licorice, and flowers. Beautifully complex and elegant, it’s medium-bodied on the palate and has light, silky yet present tannins, a wonderful core of sweet fruit, and a great finish. It’s like a Barbaresco mixed with a Red Burgundy. The blend is 50% Nebbiolo, 15% each of Nerello Mascalese, Carignan, and Primitivo, and the final 5% Barbera. I don’t think there’s anyone in California doing Italian varieties better than Kevin Harvey and his team at Rhys (who are behind the Aeris wines). 93 .