Lynn and I made our first trip to the Loire Valley a long time ago. I remember getting off the train and walking all over whatever town we were in (probably Touraine) looking for a place to rent a car. It was winter and cold outside and we never seemed to have enough clothes to wear. Somehow, we finally found a car, but had no idea where we were going or who to visit so we just started cruising around. We quickly found ourselves in Montlouis Sur Loire and Vouvray and it was there that Chenin Blanc cast it’s spell over us. The minerality and lightness were so refreshing and contrary to the California Chardonnay that we probably knew better at the time and we were blown away. It seemed wonderful on it’s own, with any food, dry, sweet, sparkling, however it was offered.

A few years later and back in California, an opportunity to make our own Chenin Blanc came up. Over many years now, we have seen a lot of Chenin get ripped out in California and we have had to move around to keep making it, but these last few we have landed  on the Wilson Vineyard on Merritt Island in Clarksburg. The 2022 is our sixth vintage of Chenin from this site. Like 2021, the acid is higher, the wine is a bit more austere, bordering on being reductive (in a good way if you ask me), but still savory and refreshing for sure....always about texture.Still, assuredly, a California Chenin Blanc.

Harvested around 21˚ brix, free run and light press juice were fermented with naturally occurring yeast in a combination of concrete eggs, stainless steel tanks, and a few neutral French oak barrels. The multiple lots were blended in January and bottled in February of 2024.

294 cases produced.

pH - 3.54

TA -6.1 g/L

EtOH - 13.0% by vol.

RS - DRY