In 2018, the family added an additional 40 acre site which sits adjacent to their X Novo Vineyard. The high density X Saxa Vineyard sits on an extremely steep, intensely-rocky volcanic slope that was originally planted to Riesling in 2005 by famed Australian Winemaker Brian Croser. The Williams’ grafted the established vines over to Aligoté and Chardonnay in the spring of 2018.
A step up in the more serious tone of this release, the 2022 Aligote X Saxa Vineyard is a bright yellow/silver hue and has a great nose, with flinty reduction, ripe citrus, lemon-lime, fresh flowers, fresh green pear, and saline earth. Medium-bodied, it has mouthwatering, salty freshness, although it’s not austere, and it has delicate, floral, weightless lift on the palate, with a delicate touch. dewy stones. It’s going to do well with another couple years in bottle. Drink 2025-2032. 115 cases were produced.
The 2022 Aligoté X Saxa Vineyard is impossible to ignore, with zests of lemon, sage and crushed nectarines forming its spicy bouquet. This is vibrant within, with a pretty inner sweetness and masses of mineral-tinged pit fruits. It leaves a spike of sour lime to contrast with sweet spice, finishing remarkably fresh with a lovely inner tension that calls the taster back to the glass for more.
