Palate
This wine evolves into a crisp melange of refreshing fruit from honeydew to citron lemon, ripe kiwi and tart pippin apples. The wine finishes juicy while remaining appropriately acidic and dry with sweet green apple and mango nectar flavors.
Growing Conditions
This is our 18th year of producing Chenin Blanc from Wilson Farms in Clarksburg California, near Sacramento in the Delta. What is special about this location (especially for Chenin Blanc) is the micro climate. This area is about 90 miles East of San Francisco which is an inland valley floor location, prone to heat; however, because of its proximity to the SF Bay, the area is cooled down in the afternoon due to the marine influence. The cool breezes remove heat, yet allow for optimal daytime sunlight and ripening to occur. This cooling effect allows the grapes to maintain larger than normal (for an inland location) natural acidities which inherently makes better wine.
Harvest
The grapes for this wine are harvested in the middle of the night so we receive them nice and cold at the winery bright and early (usually 5 am).
Winemaking
We hand sort the grapes and go direct to the press, expressing the juice and cold settling for about 3 days. After the juice is settled, we rack the unfermented juice clean and into stainless steel tanks and ferment cold and slow to express as much aromatics as possible. The wine is not put through malo-lactic so as to preserve the natural acidity and maintain this as an important part of the flavor profile.
Food Pairing
This wine pairs fabulously with grilled fish tacos and salsa fresca, avocado, fresh lime and cilantro. Try it with summer salads like blood orange, shaved fennel and arugula in a champagne vinaigrette. Or a chioggia beet salad with toasted walnuts and gorgonzola or grilled yellowfin tuna with fresh guacamole, roasted fingerling potatoes and Maui onions.
