Winemaker Notes
The Lang & Reed 2018 Chenin Blanc from Mendocino is our fifth version of this wine, and it initially displays aromatic notes of white peach, honeycomb, and wet stone. The flavors unfold with energetic fruit, layers of texture, and a touch of saline which finishes with tight minerality. The wine is lifted and pleasant, yet possesses the depth to gain complexity and nuance with a few years of cellaring.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
A chenin with bold floral spice, this is peppery and clean, lasting on scents of lilies and mint over its nutty richness. It has a cool feel to match crab, and the spiciness to pair with Cantonese orange beef.
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.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.