Napa Valley, CA (March 1, 2022) – Joe Wagner, a fifth-generation winemaker and founder of Belle Glos, announces the launch of its newest varietal and the brand’s first white wine, Belle Glos Glasir Holt Chardonnay (SRP: $55). Belle Glos is known for making luxurious, terroir-driven Pinot Noirs from maritime-influenced vineyards in California. Hand-dipped in the easily identifiable Belle Glos wax style, the coastal Glasir Holt Chardonnay will be exclusively available direct to consumer, through the Belle Glos Wine Club and at Quilt & Co. Tasting Room and Lounge, one of Wagner’s more recent ventures, located in the heart of downtown Napa, with hopes for national distribution in the future.
Positioned near the ocean in Northern California, the Glasir Holt Vineyard sits on the western edge of Santa Rita Hills. Although Wagner’s intentions were to grow Pinot Noir on this vineyard, a small portion of the land had an enticing chalky-like characteristic to the soil, primarily due to the high PH level and its calcareous nature. Always one to rise to a new challenge, Wagner wanted to try something new and plant Chardonnay vines. Due to the maritime impact of the ocean, cool days, and cooler nights, he was able to grow this beautiful, mineral-driven Chardonnay, resulting in a classic, elegant style of wine, mirroring the rest of the Belle Glos portfolio.
“No other vineyard that we have farmed throughout California’s coast could match the character and quality of the Chardonnay at Glasir Holt,” says Joe Wagner. “It is a more than an exceptional place and it shows in the grapes and in the wine. With the winemaking, we took a very traditional approach to allow for the purist expression of what Mother Nature gave us, which was a glaringly articulate embodiment of the soil and climate. So much so, that I could not deny its place as a vineyard designate to sit alongside its Belle Glos brethren.”
The Belle Glos Glasir Holt Chardonnay is a beautiful golden hue in the glass with mouth-watering aromas of pie crust, lightly toasted marshmallow, banana cream pie, and hints of granny smith apple. On the palate, find large, luscious tones of melon, bright apple, and hints of buttery brioche. The wine has a well-balanced mouthfeel that dances on the palate with bright and lively acidity and minerality, resulting in a phenomenal expression of a coastal-driven Chardonnay.
In the cellar, the whole clusters were lightly pressed to separate all the solids and juice before sitting for about 24 hours. The liquid then went through a native yeast fermentation prior to fermenting in 10% concrete tanks and 90% new French oak barrels. During the fermentation process, malolactic fermentation occurred, which elevated the body of the wine, while the remaining lees were stirred once a week. After aging the liquid for about 12 months, Wagner bottled the wine which resulted in a beautiful Chardonnay from Santa Barbara.
Since starting his blossoming company, Copper Cane Wines & Provisions, in 2014, Joe Wagner has launched numerous new wines, each with a distinct slant towards his personal style. Representative brands include Belle Glos, Böen, Elouan, and Napa Valley Quilt. Böen.
The Belle Glos Glasir Holt Chardonnay, and the remaining Belle Glos portfolio, are available for purchase at Quilt & Co. Tasting Room and Lounge, in Napa, California. For more information on Belle Glos, please visit belleglos.com, and stay up to date on social by following @BelleGlosWines.
About Belle Glos
As a fifth-generation Napa Valley winemaker, Joe Wagner learned his way around a vineyard long before he was able to drink wine. Inspired by his grandmother, Lorna Belle Glos Wagner, Joe created Belle Glos in 2001 with a focus on vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs from California’s best coastal regions. Each Vineyard Designate is crafted to distill the purest essence of the locale into elegant expressions of California Pinot Noir. Belle Glos is easily identifiable by its signature red wax-dipped bottle and classic script label. The wines have received praise from consumers and critics alike; Wine Enthusiast awarded the 2019 Las Alturas Pinot Noir with a score of 96 points and the 2019 Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir a score of 90 points, exemplifying superior character and style. The Belle Glos portfolio includes Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir, Dairyman Pinot Noir, Eulenloch Pinot Noir, Las Alturas Pinot Noir, Balade Pinot Noir, Taylor Lane Pinot Noir, Glasir Holt Chardonnay, and Oeil de Perdrix Pinot Noir Blanc de Noir.
