You’d be hard pressed to find someone more excited than I about the ascendancy of Chenin Blanc from obscurity to—well, let’s face it—marginally well-known alternative white wine. Chenin finally seems to be having a moment. While that doesn’t mean thousands of acres are going into the ground in California (we have less than 4,000 now) nor that distributors can’t keep their Saumur Blanc in stock (we can only dream that Chenin becomes the next Sancerre), there are an awful lot more stories about Chenin Blanc in the wine press than ever before. And hopefully that will eventually translate into more bottles sold and opened.

While you can’t consider it end-all-be-all, when wine tastings start popping up focused on any given grape variety, you know that grape is on the rise. And when those tasting events sell out to a vibrant set of consumers who seem positively pumped to be walking around tasting hundreds of Chenin Blancs, well, then you know something is going on.

In my line of work, I go to a lot of wine tastings, and I have been attending public tasting events in the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 20 years. I remember the long lines and electric buzz of the early days of the ZAP Zinfandel Festival, where thousands of folks got purple teeth and a little sloppy tasting hundreds of Zinfandels at Fort Mason in San Francisco. Back then, such tastings felt like a party. They had an energy that made them exciting to attend. In the few years leading up to the pandemic, that was less and less the case. And then, even when events began happening again later, they never had that kind of energy.

Until this past May, when Hella Chenin, the first American wine event ever dedicated to Chenin Blanc, debuted in Berkey to the most enthusiastic crowd of wine drinkers I’ve seen in many a year.

Held at Hammerling Cellars, the event featured dozens of producers from both California and South Africa. To start the event, I moderated a panel discussion with Tegan Passalaqua of Sandlands and Bernhard Bredell of Scions of Sinai, and then the sold-out crowd got busy tasting Chenin, listening to great music, and chowing down on food from a couple of local outfits.

I spent as much time as I could tasting, and what a pleasure it was.

South Africa is currently the world’s largest producer of Chenin Blanc, having long eclipsed France. This despite the Loire Valley’s status as the homeland for the grape variety. The reason for this parallels Lodi’s status as the home of old-vine Zinfandel in California. As in Lodi, South Africa had a huge co-op winemaking era, in which massive wineries bought fruit from thousands of growers for decades, using it to make brandy and sweet wines, and then later dry wines as tastes changed. This allowed an amazing number of acres of old Chenin vines to stay in the ground, which a new generation of young winemakers are now exploiting to the fullest, making some of the most exciting Chenin Blancs on the planet.

California, too, is undergoing a renaissance of Chenin Blanc led by mostly a younger generation of winemakers. Sadly, there aren’t many acres to go around, but in a recent article I wrote for Jancis Robinson, I was able to track down nearly 80 different bottlings of California Chenin Blanc. They’re not making that much of it, but there are a lot of people making it.

What’s more, in general, Chenin Blanc, both from California and South Africa delivers pretty incredible value for money. Sure there are some high-end bottlings that are quite rareified, but your average bottle of good Chenin Blanc from either place is going to run you abotu $25 or $30, and it’s going to way over-deliver for that price point compared with California Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.

Now’s the time to explore what Chenin Blanc has to offer. Thankfully the Hella Chenin organizers are already planning next year’s event.

Tasting Notes

The notes below were made during the walk-around tasting. They are slightly more abbreviated than notes I may have made during a more focused tasting exercise, and don’t include alcohol levels, as I did not record those. As usual, when doing a relatively comprehensive tasting such as this, I have included notes and scores for all the wines I tasted, including those I didn’t particularly care for (though it must be said: there were remarkably few of those).

Finally, note that despite diligent tasting on my part, I did not have enough time to taste all the wines on offer, so this does not represent the complete set of wines on offer, though I think it represents most of them.

Wines With a Score Around 9.5

2021 Badenhorst Family “Golden Slopes” Chenin Blanc, Swartland, Coastal Region, South Africa
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of nut skin, lemon pith, pears, and herbs. In the mouth, the wine tastes of stony nut skin, grapefruit, and wet chalkboard. Wonderfully crystalline and long. Lightly grippy with a hint of sarsaparilla in the finish. Fantastic. Cost: $55. click to buy.

2016 Littorai “The Haven Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet straw, nut skin, honey, and pear. In the mouth, lemony grapefruit flavors have a hint of honey and are stony and long, thanks to excellent acidity. Deep and resonant. Very complex and delicious. Cost: $100. click to buy.

2024 Pax Wines “Helios” Chenin Blanc, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of grapefruit, flowers, and honey. In the mouth, the wine has a laser-like acidity with grapefruit, pear, and lemon zest flavors. A long and marvelous finish. Gorgeous. Cost: $23. click to buy.

2014 Sandlands Vineyards Chenin Blanc, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemony grapefruit and unripe pear. In the mouth, stony, wet chalkboard, grapefruit pith, lemon, and pear flavors have a wonderfully crystalline quality to them. Pure and delicious. Excellent acidity. Breathtaking. Cost: $70. click to buy.

Wines With a Score Between 9 and 9.5

2023 Alheit Wines “Cartology” Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa
Near colorless in the glass, this wine smells of grapefruit, wet chalkboard, and lemon peel. In the mouth, stony wet chalkboard, saline grapefruit, and lemon flavours have a wonderful brightness and excellent acidity. Contains 6% Semillon. Cost: $60. click to buy.

2024 Badenhorst Family “Secateurs” Chenin Blanc, Swartland, Coastal Region, South Africa
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of struck match, grapefruit, and orange blossom. In the mouth, the wine is stony and saline, with flavours of grapefruit, pear, and orange blossom. Excellent acidity. Cost: $20. click to buy.

2019 Birichino “Jurassic Park Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of sweet pear and white flowers. In the mouth, salty, floral flavours of pear have a nice pithy quality and excellent acidity. Cost: $27. click to buy.

2024 Birichino “Jurassic Park Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of sweet pear, white flowers, and pastry cream. In the mouth, pastry cream and pear skin flavours have great acidity with a bright juiciness and stony quality. Excellent acidity. Cost: $31. click to buy.

2023 Bosman Wines “Optenhorst Single Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Wellington, Coastal Region, South Africa
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of stony grapefruit, straw, and nut skin. In the mouth, flavours of grapefruit, pear, and nut skin have wonderful acidity, and a long finish. Cost: $??

2024 Brookdale Estate “Mason Road” Chenin Blanc, Paarl, Coastal Region, South Africa
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of sarsaparilla, pear, and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, saline flavours of grapefruit and pear are mixed with nut skin. Great acidity, long finish. Cost: $24. click to buy.

2024 Brookdale Estate “Old Vines” Chenin Blanc, Paarl, Coastal Region, South Africa
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of struck match, grapefruit zest, and salty nuts. In the mouth, saline flavours of grapefruit, pear skin, and lemon peel have a wonderful zip thanks to fantastic acidity. Great balance. Cost: $39. click to buy.

2023 Craven Wines “Karibib Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South Africa
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of lanolin, grapefruit, pear, and dried herbs. In the mouth, lean flavours of grapefruit are stony, with notes of wet straw and wet chalkboard. Lovely acidity. Cost: $32. click to buy.

2023 I. Brand & Family “Massa Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Carmel Valley, Monterey, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet wool, wet straw, lean lemon, and grapefruit pith. In the mouth, flavours of lemon, grapefruit, unripe pears, and wet stone have great acidity and length. Cost: $43.

2023 Las Jaras “Cezanne – Norgard Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Mendocino, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of dough, pear, grapefruit, and sarsaparilla. In the mouth, pear, grapefruit, sarsaparilla, and lemongrass flavours have wonderful brightness, excellent acidity, and great length. Cost: $32. click to buy.

2022 Las Jaras “Cuvée Esmé Anne – Norgard Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Mendocino, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of vanilla, pear, grapefruit, and herbs. In the mouth, great acidity makes flavours of grapefruit, pear, wet stone, and spices bright and juicy. Cost: $??

2023 Littorai “The Haven Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Basically colorless in the glass, this wine smells of wet straw, vanilla, and unripe pear. In the mouth, flavours of grapefruit and pear are refined and balanced. Excellent acidity. Cost: $100.

2024 Maître de Chai “Kierkegaard – Wilson Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California
Near colorless in the glass with a hint of pale gold, this wine smells vaguely yeasty with notes of flowers. In the mouth, floral flavours, pastry cream, pear, and sarsaparilla mix with shockingly bright notes of makrut lime. Very intense and distinctive. Excellent acidity. Cost: $27. click to buy.

2023 Minus Tide “Sterling Ranch” Chenin Blanc, Mendocino, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of floral, grapefruit, and unripe pear aromas. In the mouth, the wine is faintly saline, with lime zest, wet chalkboard, and grapefruit flavours. Excellent acidity. Cost: $34.

2019 Minus Tide “Sterling Ranch” Chenin Blanc, Mendocino, California
Light yellow gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet chalkboard and grapefruit pith. In the mouth, the wine is quite crystalline with pear and herb flavours mixed with grapefruit and wet chalkboard. Excellent acidity. Cost: $34.

2024 Minus Tide “Sterling Ranch” Chenin Blanc, Mendocino, California
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of honey, wet chalkboard, and grapefruit. In the mouth, the wine has a steely, saline grapefruit quality with pear and wet chalkboard notes. Excellent acidity. Cost: $34. click to buy.

2023 Pax Wines “Lyman Ranch” Chenin Blanc, Amador County, Sierra Foothills, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine has a slightly reduced nose with aromas of grapefruit, lime, and a touch of struck match. In the mouth, very lean flavours of grapefruit and lime juice are mineral, lean, and long. Excellent acidity. Cost: $37. click to buy.

2023 Sandlands Vineyards Chenin Blanc, Amador County, Sierra Foothills, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet straw, grapefruit pith, and white flowers. In the mouth, saline flavours of wet chalkboard, grapefruit, and a hint of straw mix with dried herbs. Excellent acidity. Cost: $56. click to buy.

2019 Sandlands Vineyards Chenin Blanc, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet wool, grapefruit pith, and lemon zest. In the mouth, saline flavours of grapefruit, wet pavement, pear, and spices have a long finish and excellent acidity. Cost: $56. click to buy.

2024 Scions of Sinai “Granietsteen” Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South Africa
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of struck match, grapefruit, and salty air. In the mouth, saline flavours of grapefruit candy and wet chalkboard are long and bright. Cost: $43. click to buy.

2023 Spice Route “Tarragon” Chenin Blanc, Swartland, Coastal Region, South Africa
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of pastry cream and sarsaparilla. In the mouth, herbs and salty grapefruit flavours are silky with a nice texture and a hint of crème anglaise. Excellent acidity. Cost: $??

Wines With a Score Around 9

2023 Alheit Wines “Hereafter Here” Chenin Blanc, Swartland, Coastal Region, South Africa
Pale gold in the glass this wine smells of slightly nutty honey, struck match, and citrus. In the mouth, bright lemon and grapefruit flavors mix with wet pavement and a slightly smoky note. Very zippy, thanks to excellent acidity. Cost: $41. click to buy.

2023 Aslina Wines “Skin Contact” Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South Africa
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of nut skin, straw, and grapefruit. In the mouth, grapefruit, lemon peel, and wet chalkboard flavors have a light tannic grip thanks to seven days on the skins. Long finish, very good acidity. Cost: $31. click to buy.

2024 Broc Cellars “Love Sparkling – Shell Creek Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Pale gold in the glass with medium bubbles, this wine has a floral, and pear aroma. In the mouth, the wine is clean and crisp with bright stony pear flavors. Crystalline in quality with a soft mousse. Cost: $30. click to buy.

2023 Broc Cellars “Happi Chenin – Massa Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Carmel Valley, Monterey, California
Palest gold in the glass this wine smells of lemony wet dog and herbs. In the mouth, the wine is tangy with great acidity, as lemon and grapefruit flavors linger lean and bright. Cost: $34. click to buy.

2024 Chappellet “Signature Series – Molly – Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of pear, honey, and flowers. In the mouth, honey, pear, and lemon pith flavors are bright with decent acidity. Cost: $77. click to buy.

2023 DuMOL Winery “MacIntyre Estate Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Pale greenish-gold in the glass, this wine smells of honey, herbs, stone, and grapefruit pith. In the mouth, grapefruit pith, pear, and pearskin flavors have a nice grip, and good acidity. Cost: $57. click to buy.

2023 Fine Disregard Wine Co. “Chalone Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Monterey County, California
Pale greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of honey, wet pavement, and grapefruit pith. In the mouth, grapefruit and wet chalkboard flavors are very stony with great acidity. Lean, bright, and crystalline. Cost: $40. click to buy.

2021 Forlorn Hope “Rorick Heritage Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Calaveras County, Sierra Foothills, California
Near colorless in the glass, this wine smells of pastry cream and poached pear. In the mouth, flavors of grapefruit, vanilla, pastry cream, and lemongrass have a nice brightness and excellent acidity. Cost: $35.

2015 Forlorn Hope “Rorick Heritage Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Calaveras County, Sierra Foothills, California
Pale gold in the glass with a hint of green, this wine smells of pear, honey and herbs. In the mouth, flavors of lemon peel and honey have a tingly, bright acidity with notes of lemon and pear lingering in the finish. Cost: $n/a

2023 FOXEN “Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of grapefruit, honey, and wet stone. In the mouth, flavors of grapefruit are juicy and stony with a long, bright finish. Excellent acidity. Cost: $30. click to buy.

2024 Gail Wines “Two Creeks Farm” Chenin Blanc, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma, California

Nearly colorless in the glass, this wine has a floral nose of grapefruit and wet stone. In the mouth, the wine is lean with grapefruit, lemon, and wet stone flavors. Excellent acidity. Cost: $25. click to buy.

2023 Lang & Reed “Norgard/Sterling” Chenin Blanc, Mendocino, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of vanilla, pastry cream, and poached pear. In the mouth, pear, pear skin, and lemon blossom flavors have a nice balance and very good acidity. Cost: $??

2016 Lang & Reed Chenin Blanc, Napa Valley, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine has a floral pear aroma. In the mouth, pear, grapefruit, and floral notes are bright and long. Cost: $??

2022 Leo Steen Wines “The Steen – Jurassic Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara, California
Pale greenish-gold in the glass, this wine smells of pear and wet pavement. In the mouth, unripe pear and wet chalkboard flavors are stony and lean, with a citrus brightness. Cost: $27. click to buy.

2023 Luddite Wines “Saboteur” Chenin Blanc, Cape South Coast, Coastal Region, South Africa
Near colorless in the glass, this wine has a floral aroma of wet stones and grapefruit. In the mouth, lean, unripe white peaches, unripe pear, and nut skin flavors are stony and bright. A blend of 77% Chenin Blanc, 13% Sauvignon Blanc, and 10% Viognier. Cost: $33. click to buy.

NV Maître de Chai “Wilson Vineyard Sparkling” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California
Pale gold in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine has a stony aroma of lanolin and pear. In the mouth, wet chalkboard, unripe pear, and grapefruit flavors are delivered on a soft mousse. Decent acidity. Cost: $35. click to buy.

2023 Matt Crutchfield Wines “I’m Mixed” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet wool, wet chalkboard, unripe pear, and flowers. In the mouth, flavors of honey and wet chalkboard are floral and bright with very good acidity. A blend of 51% Chenin Blanc and 49% Cortese. Cost: $26

2023 Matt Crutchfield Wines “Skin Contact” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Pale amber in the glass, this wine smells of wet leaves, apricot, and poached pear. In the mouth, apricot, honey, and grippy tannins have great acidity, a nice balance, and what I might call composure. 14 days of skin contact. Cost: $30. click to buy.

Wines With a Score Between 8.5 and 9

2024 Badenhorst Family “The Curator” White Blend, Coastal Region, South Africa
Near colorless in the glass, this wine smells of peachy grapefruit and lemon. In the mouth, grapefruit, lemon curd, unripe peach, and white flowers have a nice complexion. Contains percentages of both Chardonnay and Viognier. Cost: $15. click to buy.

2024 Bosman Wines “Generation 8” Chenin Blanc, Coastal Region, South Africa
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of pear, lemon, and salty mango. In the mouth, bright saline flavours of apricot and mango are juicy with excellent acidity. Cost: $20. click to buy.

2024 Dashe Cellars “Les Enfants Terribles – Heringer Vineyards” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of pear, white flowers, and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, the wine is lightly grippy with flavours of wet chalkboard, stony pear, and white flowers. Good acidity. Cost: $24. click to buy.

2021 Fine Disregard Wine Co. “Chalone Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Monterey County, California, United States
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of bee pollen, chamomile, and wet pavement. In the mouth, flavours of wet pavement, chamomile, and pear skin are very stony and lean. Cost: $40. click to buy.

2021 Gail Wines “Two Creeks Farm” Chenin Blanc, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemony pear and wet stones. In the mouth, the wine is quite stony with lemon and pear flavours. Long finish, decent acidity. Cost: $25.

2021 Hammerling Wines “Always For Pleasure – Massa Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Carmel Valley, Monterey, California, United States
Pale gold in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells of honey and lemon. In the mouth, a soft, velvety mousse delivers flavours of honey and pears with decent acidity. Cost: $??

2023 Lyndon Fog “Vista Verde Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Central Coast, California, United States
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of green herbs. In the mouth, flavours of pears and herbs are bright with a nice grapefruit kicker in the finish. Cost: $??

2023 Lang & Reed Napa Valley “Ryans Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Oak Knoll District, Napa, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of unripe pear, vanilla, pear skin, and nuts. In the mouth, flavours of crushed nuts, grapefruit, and crème anglaise have a nice smooth creaminess and decent acidity. Cost: $??

2023 Leo Steen Wines “Peaberry – Sterling Ranch” Chenin Blanc, Mendocino, California, United States
Near colorless in the glass, this wine smells of unripe pear and citrus pith. In the mouth, lightly grippy flavours of unripe pear are lean and stony with bright minerality. Cost: $26. click to buy.

2024 Margins “Wilson Family Vineyards” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Pale cloudy gold in the glass, this wine smells of pear and grapefruit pith with a hint of dough. In the mouth, lively grapefruit, pear, and good acidity are slightly brambly. Cost: $??

2024 Martha Stoumen “Out to the Meadow” Chenin Blanc, Suisun Valley, California, United States
Cloudy pale greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of poached pears. In the mouth, pear, sarsaparilla, peach, and creme anglaise flavors have a creamy quality to them. Decent acidity. A blend of 63% Chenin Blanc, 15% Vermentino, and 13% Trousseau gris. Cost: $40. click to buy.

2022 Heringer Estates Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of pears and honey. In the mouth, peachy flavors of pear, and pear skin mix with stony notes. Cost: $25. click to buy.

2024 Kirchhoff Wines Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of pear, wet chalkboard, and herbs. In the mouth, pear and pear skin flavors are stony, and long with decent acidity. Cost: $31. click to buy.

Wines With a Score Around 8.5

2023 Bosman Wines “Method Ancestrale” Chenin Blanc, South Africa
Pale gold in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells of stony wet pavement and apples. In the mouth, a soft mousse delivers flavors of apple, pear, and a light textured grip. Cost: $22. click to buy.

2023 Hammerling Wines “Point Break – Rodnick Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Chalone, Central Coast, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass with faint bubbles, this wine smells of parchment and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, pear, nougat, and wet chalkboard flavors are lean, but there’s softer acidity here than I would like. Cost: $30. click to buy.

2022 Leo Steen Wines “Bubbles of Steen” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells of wet wool and pear. In the mouth, pear and vanilla flavors mix with wet pavement as a soft mousse moves across the palate. Cost: $28. click to buy.

2023 Luddite Wines Chenin Blanc, Bot River, Coastal Region, South Africa
Light yellow gold in the glass, this wine smells of sultanas, honey, and straw. In the mouth, tangy dried grapefruit, dried apples, and wet pavement have a slight grip to them. Cost: $80. click to buy.

2023 Madson Chenin Blanc, Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet straw, unripe pear, and a hint of tea. In the mouth, pear and wet stone flavors mix with grapefruit. Cost: $25. click to buy.

2022 Wade Cellars “Three By Wade – Wilson Family Vineyards” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Near colorless in the glass, this wine smells of lanolin, wet pavement, and unripe pear. In the mouth, flavors of citrus pith, unripe pear, and wet stone have less acidity than I would like. Cost: $18. click to buy.

2024 Silt Wine Company Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of honey and sweet-ish pear notes. In the mouth, honeyed pear flavors are plush with softer acidity than I would like. Cost: $33. click to buy.

Wines With a Score Between 8 and 8.5

2019 Hammerling Wines “Always For Pleasure – Massa Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Carmel Valley, Monterey, California, United States
Light gold in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells yeasty, with a savory, herbal, citrus aroma. In the mouth, flavors of nougat, pear, and vanilla linger on the palate.

2023 Iruai “Moonstones” Chenin Blanc, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon, Oregon, United States
Pale hazy gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemony pastry cream, and vanilla. In the mouth, flavors of poached pear are faintly sweet, and a little funky.

2024 Iruai “Moonstones” Chenin Blanc, Applegate Valley, Southern Oregon, Oregon, United States
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of poached pear. In the mouth the wine is creamy with soft acidity and sweet-ish poached pear flavors.

2024 Margins “Skin Fermented – Wilson Family Vineyards” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Pale amber in the glass, this wine smells of pear skin, apricot, and earth. In the mouth, earthy, savory flavors of pear, stone, dried herbs, and dried flowers have slightly softer acidity than I would like. 17 days skin contact.

Wines With a Score Around 8

2021 Kareen Wine “Heringer Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of pear skin and pastry cream. In the mouth, faintly sweet pear and pastry cream flavors have lower acidity than I would like.

Wines With a Score Between 7.5 and 8

2022 Kareen Wine “Pet Nat – Heringer Vineyard” Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg, California, United States
Palest gold in the glass with fine bubbles, this wine smells of toasted sesame. In the mouth, faintly sweet flavors of wet leaves are delivered on a soft mousse, as earthy flavors of stone fruit linger on the palate.