Wine Regions & Grapes
Sampling of Wineries
Acorn Andrea Oberto Atlas Peak Benziger Beringer Blandy's Bodega Navarro Correas Burgans Cantina Terlano Chimney Rock Chronicle Domaine Carneros Domaine de la Mordoree Dow's Dr. Loosen Emilio Lustau Fonseca Foxen Gaston Riviere Glen Ellen Hess Collection Innocent Bystander Kendall-Jackson Korbel La Caudrina Luna Vineyards Madeira Wine Company Martin Codax Masi Merryvale Mulderbosch Navarro Vineyards Pahlmeyer Roederer Estate Ruggeri Sawyer Cellars Sbragia Six Sigma Winery St. James Steltzner Vineyards Trinchero Winery Trione V. Sattui Winery William Fevre Wilson Winery
Category Archives: Chenin Blanc
Pichot Vouvray 2009
Domaine Le Peu de la Moriette (Domaine Pichot), Vouvray 2009 The nose is a little dead on the first bottle opened – I suspect a low level of TCA. Fortunately, the second and third bottles have a much more vivid … Continue reading
Francois Chidaine Montlouis Clos Habert 2007
Francois Chidaine, Montlouis sur Loire, Clos Habert 2007 This wine was a tremendous disappointment after my experience with the previous vintage, reviewed earlier. First it was worrisome that the colour was quite golden. Smelling the wine was a first rate … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Loire Valley, Montlouis sur Loire
Tagged Francois Chidaine
Leave a comment
Chalone Chenin Blanc 2006
Chalone Vineyard, Chalone, Estate Grown, Chenin Blanc 2006 I’m a huge fan of Chenin so I come at this review in a bit of a quandary. We visited the winery last week and had an opportunity to see the vines … Continue reading
Coulee de Serrant 2004
Clos de la Coulee de Serrant, Savennieres-Coulee de Serrant 2004 The wine in this bottle is deeply golden, almost brown, the nose is very complex, the mouth is quite dense and the flavors go on for a long time. Yet … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, Coulee de Serrant, France, Loire Valley, Savennieres
Leave a comment
Navarro Chenin 2008
Navarro, Mendocino, Chenin Blanc 2008 This dry, high acid Chenin is bursting with the taste of green apples and lime – very nice. Tasting a second bottle in December I have to reiterate the refreshing, tangy character of this wine, … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chenin Blanc, Mendocino County
Leave a comment
Huet Moelleux 1990
Domaine Huet, Vouvray, Le Haut-Lieu, 1ere Trie, Moelleux 1990 This wine has developed a beautiful tawny color over almost 2 decades. The nose smells of toffee, caramel and raisins. The mouth is an absolute explosions of fresh oranges covered in … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Late Harvest White, Loire Valley, White Dessert
Leave a comment
Pichot Vouvray 2008
Domaine Le Peu de la Moriette (Domaine Pichot), Vouvray 2008 In the nose there is a sense of herbaceousness, candied green fruit and floral notes. In the mouth there is that familiar balance of the sweet and the tart, as … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Loire Valley, Vouvray
Leave a comment
Leo Steen Chenin 2008
Leo Steen, Dry Creek Valley, Saini Farms, Chenin Blanc 2008 Fresh limes and perfume greet you when you lift the glass. This is poignantly refreshing with loads of acidity yet filled out across the palate, lighting every available taste bud. … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chenin Blanc, Dry Creek Valley
Leave a comment
Husch Chenin Blanc 2008
Husch, Mendocino, Chenin Blanc 2008 Perfume and ripe tropical fruit mark the nose while the mouth features a subtle amout of RS at 1.4%. GP&B in Ukiah 13% $7.99 at Bottle Barn Husch
Posted in California, Chenin Blanc, Mendocino County
Leave a comment
Mulderbosch Chenin 2008
Mulderbosch, Western Cape, Chenin Blanc, Steen op Hout 2008 The wet stones are dancing out of the glass with a touch of herbaceousness and citrus. The mouth sports plenty of acidity yet not without the extract to keep up with … Continue reading
Rene Renou Bonnezeau 1999
Rene Renou, Bonnezeaux, Tri de Vendanges 1999 Mis en bouteille par Rene Renou, proprietaire et recoltant a Thouarce 13% $27.99 for a 500ml bottle at the Wine Merchant
Posted in Bonnezeaux, Chenin Blanc
Leave a comment
Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux 2002
Domaine Huet, Vouvray, Clos du Bourg, Moelleux, Premiere Trie 2002 The nose sports minerality and citrus and the mouth is vivaciously alive, singing with acidity and joined in a chorus with flavors of tangerine and pineapple. This is certainly not … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Late Harvest White, Loire Valley, Vouvray, White Dessert
Leave a comment
Baumard Clos du Papillon 2004
Domaine des Baumard, Savennières, Clos du Papillon 2004 This nose lights up with minerality and matchstick as the sulfur works it way into the air. There’s lanolin and a hint of green as well. The nose is full-on, intense acidity … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Loire Valley, Savennieres
Leave a comment
Francois Chidaine Montlouis Clos Habert 2006
Francois Chidaine, Montlouis sur Loire, Clos Habert 2006 In the nose there is a complex mix of minerality and honey while the fruit flavors flow in the mouth from citrus to tropical with comparable acidity – very nice. The estate’s … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Loire Valley, Montlouis sur Loire
Leave a comment
Singing sweetly in the Loire
Chateau Pierre-Bise, Quarts de Chaume 2004 Honey is the signature smell that jumps out of the glass with caramel and some noticeable but tolerable VA. When you think of the Sauternes model, it works just fine. There’s also citrus, like … Continue reading
Steen
Sebeka, Western Cape, Chenin Blanc 2008 This is a softer version of Chenin than you might expect from South Africa. While the Chenin produced at Mulderbosch and Thelema have electrifying acidity, this has a softer touch of the acid hand … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, South Africa, Western Cape
1 Comment
Chenin shines
Leo Steen Dry Creek Valley Saini Farms Chenin Blanc 2007 This wine was excellent in ’06 and even better this time around. There is the mineral nerve that we associate with Savennieres and the ripeness of fruit that we associate … Continue reading
Back in time
Regis Cruchet, Vouvray, Demi-Sec 1996 Then nose is quite evolved where there is a sense of varnish and nuttiness and a little lingering fruit. In the mouth though, there’s tropical fruit and lime with just enough residual sugar to pair … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Loire Valley, Vouvray
Leave a comment
Perennial favorite
Domaine Le Peu de la Moriette (Domaine Pichot), Vouvray 2007 This wine embodies the sweet and tart character that Chenin can show so well when there’s a bit of residual sugar. Unfortunately our latest bottle in May of ’09 is … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chenin Blanc, France, Loire Valley, Vouvray
Leave a comment
Last train to Clarksburg
Bogle, California, Chenin Blanc 2005 This back vintage was lingering in the cellar. There’s a sense of candied tropical fruits, roundness in the palate augmented by a touch of RS and braced by an appropriate amount of acidity. It’s all … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg
Leave a comment
Chenin from both sides now
Vinum Cellars Clarksburg CNW Wilson Vineyards Chenin Blanc 2006 From the ABC crowd at Vinum, these guys are willing to bet on the ‘other grapes’. Barrel fermented and aged 6 months in oak for complexity yet the bracing side of … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, Mendocino County
Leave a comment
Refreshers from the deep south
This flight features two wines from a personal favorite winery, Mulderbosch. Neither of these wines is shy in the acid department and the Sauvignon is particularly herbaceous – yummmm! Mulderbosch, Stellenbosch, Chenin Blanc, Steen op Hout 2007 P&B in Stellenbosch … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa, Stellenbosch, Western Cape
Tagged Mulderbosch
Leave a comment
Northern Sonoma Exploration
Off the beaten track we find quality Chenin Blanc and Bordeaux-style blends. This Chenin displays minerality and nerve while the Alluvium is quite rich in its styling. Leo Steen Dry Creek Valley Saini Farms Chenin Blanc 2006 Sourced from vines … Continue reading
Chenin Blanc in Evolution
Régis Cruchet Vouvray Sec 2005 The last bottle tasted earlier in the year was rather evolved yet still possessing the textbook acidity. Perhaps it was one bottle where the cork didn’t hold in the SO2 effectively. No, again we see … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Vouvray
Leave a comment
Hungary Reigns
The previous tasting in the California and Europe class in San Francisco pitted Baumard against Oremus. Tonight’s flight brings in a different top-flight producer, this time from Sauternes. Both the Raymond-Lafon and the Oremus will be tasted side-by-side. In both … Continue reading
Sweet Chenin
Regis Cruchet Vouvray Moelleux 1989 The last bottle tasted back in early 07 was very complex, with great acidity – an evolved, mature wine that was not liked by the class. Tonight’s wine again had its detractors given the bottle … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Vouvray, White Dessert
Leave a comment
Bracing Wine
Domaine Les Hautes Noëlles Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu sur lie 2006 The last vintage tasted, 2004 was very clean and bursting with acidity. Again tonight with the 2006, this wine struts its acidity with a freshness of fruit to smell … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Loire Valley, Melon, Muscadet, Savennieres
Leave a comment
Welcome to France
This flight features 3 whites and offers an opportunity to contrast acid levels, weight and residual sugar. Chateau Sainte-Marie Entre-Deux-Mers Vielles Vignes 2005 Of the 2004 I noted a perfect balance of the grapes used and a great value. This … Continue reading
Posted in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chablis, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Entre-Deux-Mers, France, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Uncategorized, Vouvray
Leave a comment
English