Lo-Fi Wines Jurassic Park Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2018
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Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Hand harvested and sustainably grown; Whole cluster pressed to tank. Settled 48 hours prior to racking to barrel. Fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic by naturally occurring bacteria. No sulfur used at pressing. Aged in neutral French oak barrels for 6 months. Racked once prior to bottling. Total of 35 ppm so2 added in keeping with our minimalist (lo-fi) philosophy.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Lo-Fi Chenin Blanc brings respect to this grape variety in the New World. TASTING NOTES: This wine is enticing and beautiful. Pair its aromas and flavors of honeydew and citrus with an early evening dinner of fried chicken wings, carrot sticks, and celery. (Tasted: May 24, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
We believe in neutral barrels, native yeasts, little to no sulfur additions, and no adjustment of pH. We love whole cluster fermentation. We adore carbonic maceration . We embrace a nothing added, nothing taken away philosophy that gives birth to wines that are young, vibrant and alive.
But in all reality Lo-Fi is less about what it is and more about what it is not. It is not over manipulated. It is not over extracted. It is not over ripe and it is not over priced.
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.