Chalone Chenin Blanc 2014
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Wine Enthusiast
These old, head-trained bush vines make for stunning wines year after year. This vintage shows lemon rind, orange-laced tonic water, yellow pear and a fragrant chilled Pink Lady apple element on the nose. The palate is all about tense texture, but also shows refreshing flavors of green pluot, tart plum and a touch of sweet basil.
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Wine Spectator
Intriguing, offering a softly honeyed mix of pear, yellow apple and melon notes, accented by dried honeysuckle and butterscotch. Smooth and supple on a medium body, presenting deft acidity that weaves in and out, keeping the flavors fresh.
The Chalone Estate Vineyard is one of the most remarkable winery properties in California, and the sole winery within the Chalone AVA. The vineyard was planted in 1919, with the production under the Chalone Vineyard brand beginning in 1960.
Chalone wines speak to the unique terroir of this wild, isolated and high-elevation mountain plateau in Monterey County, located adjacent to the Pinnacles National Monument. The wines reflect a unique character that is attributed to the area’s granitic and limestone soils as well as the large daily diurnal shifts, ultimately resulting in wines with distinct minerality and balance between ripe fruit character and bright acidity.
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.
Located in the Gabilan Mountains east of the fertile Salinas Valley, Chalone is named for the nearby Chalone peaks and produces fine Chardonnay and Pinot noir, among others.