Special Release Sonoma Coast Chenin Blanc
2020

Winemaker’s Notes

We believe our Chenin Blanc is a world-class expression of this classic Loire Valley grape variety which had such a significant impact on the young Californian wine industry beginning in the 1950s. It was essentially the first non-table grape variety to be used to make white wines on any serious level, long before Chardonnay was even heard of, let alone planted. And while it gradually lost favor in the 1980s, it can now be found again on every hip wine list across the country—a Sommelier favorite, and for good reason.

Compared to our 2019 (did you taste—drink!—it yet?), the 2020 expression is a little tighter and more structured but is filled with gorgeous cool climate aromatics and flavor intensity. For the first time, we fermented and aged the wine in our thick-stave Austrian oak foudre/tank. This beautiful vessel—basically a work of oak art—preserves the purity of the grape, brings out the natural texture of the fruit, and expresses elegance in a way that regular-sized barrels cannot.

Intense, crisp, and dynamic aromas – honeycomb, green apple, and lime zest with a flinty/briny edge. The wine is full of beeswaxy-lanolin texture and flavors of tangerine oil, lemon sherbet, spiced apple, and cardamom. There’s a powerful sense of rising energy to the wine which deepens, becoming concentrated and luscious with air. The finish is minty and zesty with great acid cut. Drink between late-2022 and 2030.

Andy Smith Viticulturist, Winemaker & Partner