Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Chenin Blanc is a vibrant and bright wine, coming from old vines planted in the 1940’s. It is a product of its rich clay loam soils and colder, brisk nights that are made possible by the Delta Breeze coming in off the San Francisco Bay.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chenin Blanc was matured mostly in stainless steel, with smaller portions in neutral French oak and cement. It's bursting with alluring scents of kumquat, kiwi, white peaches and gravel dust. It's a pretty expression with Goldilocks ripeness. The palate features a focused spine of acidity that drives its concentrated, expansive flavors, and it has a long finish that seems to gain in intensity with each sip.
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Wine Spectator
This intense, bright and crisp white offers notes of pomelo and pineapple up front, with accents of white pepper. Shows a thread of minerality and an accent of beeswax on a plump, juicy frame.
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.
The vineyards just inland from the Sacramento River Delta, along the deep banks of the Sacramento River, comprise the Clarksburg AVA. The River Delta channels in cold air and fog from the Pacific Ocean creating a cooling effect in this area. Warm summer days quickly change to chilly evenings and make a great environment for grape growing. While a range of grape varieties grow here, Chenin blanc stands out the most, distinguishing itself in the appellation.
The Clarksburg Wine Growers and Vintners Association, made up of nearly 50 grower members and over a dozen wineries, has been working since the late 1980s to promote the high quality wine of its region.