Winemaker Notes

Clarksburg Viticultural Area

Clarksburg is located just south of Sacramento along the Sacramento River Delta waterways. The vines are planted along the well-draining sandy loam soils of the region. While the Central Valley can get very hot during the day, the Delta Winds and river influence cool the region down significantly at night, allowing for cohesive ripening of acids with grape’s sugars and creating wines of significant structure and finesse.

Vintage

The 2023 vintage was marked by a long, cool growing season, which allowed our fruit to hang and slowly develop phenolic ripeness, or harmony of the sugars with the acids in the grapes. A few late summer rains set the grape development back a few times, leading to even more extended hang time in what could amount to be one of the best vintages of my lifetime.

Varietal

Chenin Blanc is named after Mount Chenin and originates from the Loire Valley in France. The grapes are planted along the sandy loam soils of the Loire Valley. Chenin is very much a “winemaker’s grape” in the way in which the grape is processed and aged can drastically change the final wine. Chenin styles can range from light, crisp and completely dry and zippy (our style!), to more rounded , weighty and even off-dry. The versatility of the grape and the intense acid structure make Chenin Blanc a tremendous compliment to foods, especially those with sweet, sour, and fatty characteristics like Asian-style cuisine.