Winemaker Notes
With distinctive aromatics of white floral, Meyer lemon, green apple, and wet stone, this dry Chenin is vivid and lively. In the mouth, flavors burst forward with Anjou pear, magnolia, lime, and citrus custard, offset by a remarkable note of salinity. The wine is snappy and interesting, carrying through to a flavorful and vibrant mouth-watering finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of apricots and lemon pith, together with floral fragrance of lily-of-the-valley, elderflower and crushed stones. Some raw almond, too. So steady and focused on the palate with crisp, pointy acidity and fresh citrusy character. Bright and mineral with some flinty hints at the end.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a true Washington wine classic that is also a spectacular value. Gravenstein apple and lemon verbena aromas swirl about your head as notes of river stones and white pepper try to sneak up on you. There’s some body here, with a rich texture and flavors like grilled lemons, Bosc pears and a lemon granita.
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 geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.