Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 JI JI JI Chenin Blanc is very different from previous vintages. To start with, the grapes come from their own vineyard planted in 2015 in Gualtallary. The wine has achieved 12.5% alcohol, and the acidity is limited to a moderate 6.8 grams (tartaric), looking for freshness, without malolactic. They did some skin contact, so the wine has a bright golden color, a varietal nose with good ripeness and still the electric and vibrant palate that has always been the trademark of this wine. It feels like the teenager has matured and is now a full-grown adult.
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Wine Enthusiast
With a tannish gold color and dusty aromas of melon, peach and apricot, this lighter-bodied Chenin feels a touch cidery and braced by malic acidity. Peach and nectarine flavors finish steady. This is living proof that Chenin Blanc is alive and well in Argentina, even if it's a rarity.
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.
By far the largest and best-known winemaking province in Argentina, Mendoza is responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. Set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, the climate is dry and continental, presenting relatively few challenges for viticulturists during the growing season. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines.
For many wine lovers, Mendoza is practically synonymous with Malbec. Originally a Bordelaise variety brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s, here it found success and renown that it never knew in its homeland where a finicky climate gives mixed results. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir are all widely planted here as well (and sometimes even blended with each other or Malbec). Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.