Chenin Blanc

This a sparkling wine from the southwest corner of France.  It is a blend of 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc and 10% Pinot Noir.  It is an excellent value in sparkling wine.  Silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  There is a fair amount of small to medium sized bubbles making up the mousse.  On opening, this is a very aromatic wine.  There is an initial wave of limes and lanolin followed by minerals and baked apples on the nose.  Good acidity.  The palate has a nice roundness with baked apples and slight cherry notes.  This has moderate depth with light tannins.  It finishes long.  Over

Sandlands makes my favorite US Chanin Blanc.  That might not be an impressive statement, but there are some great ones and this one competes with any anywhere.  Light golden in color.  The nose is very nice (if not served too cold) with almonds, orange peel, minerals and slight lemon.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is a nice depth.  The almonds and orange peel carry thru with a slight waxy note.  Good energy.  Nice balance.  Long finish.  This seems like it should improve a bit with age and should drink well for seven to ten years (and quite possibly more).  It will work well with li

I love Chenin Blanc and some of my favorites come from the Loire Valley in France.  This is an excellent wine.  It was $35 on release.  Golden in color.  The nose is mostly about minerality although there is a touch or orange peel.  Very clean.  On the palate, this has a light sweetness to it.  Lots of minerality with good acidity.  It has a lot of complexity even at this young age.  Quite concentrated.  Consumed over three nights, it was best on night three.  This should easily last a couple more decades.  It will go well with lighter foods or foul and also consider Thai or similar cuisine

I opened this to drink blind to start off one of my tasting groups annual parties.  Although it obviously has some age to it, it is drinking very well.

One of my favorite Chenin Blanc's from California.  Light golden in the glass.  The nose is mostly about minerality but there is some honey, and slight orange peel to it as well.  On the palate, this is dry but with a viscous texture.  A nice backbone of acidity.  Minerals with some underlying dried oranges.  Long finish.  One get's the feeling this could last for a long time, but to be safe, it probably should be consumed in the next five to seven years.  It will go well with Asian foods.  

Had this at a local wine shop and was told it was a sparkling Vouvray.  I don't see that on the label as it appears to Vin de Pays though that is not on the label either.  The importers web site states that this is "Based heavily on Chenin Blanc with a dollop of Chardonnay" from vineyards in Touraine.  In any event, I love Chenin Blanc and thought this was a very nice sparkler.  How much one enjoyed it seemed to be directly tied to ones appreciation fro Chenin (at least at the store).  Light gold in color with some green streaks.  On the nose, this has a nice salinity with a bit of chalk, c

This was a sound bottle.  Many of the Huet 2002's are subject to premature oxidation.  This bottle was excellent.  Chenin Blanc, especially with some residual sugar left, can last for decades.  Golden in color, clear and bright and slightly deep.  On the nose this has orange peel, crushed shells, salinity and a touch of canned peaches.  Medium bodied.  Slightly sweet on the palate.  Complex.  Nice minerality layered with a bit of peach and slight honey.  Nice acidic backbone.  This worked great with a peach cobbler dessert.  Good bottles of this can be enjoyed at any point over the next cou

This is a dessert wine made from the Chenin Blanc grape.  At age 17, this is doing great.  Chenin is one of the longest lived wine grapes out there.  Golden in color.  The nose is great with sea air, orange peel, crushed shells and honey.  Medium bodied.  This is sweet, not cloying or even very sweet but more than off dry.  There is also a bitter note on the finish which complements the sweetness nicely.  In between, some citrus and lots of minerality.  Nice acidity.  This would work with citrus based desserts well or in a small glass on its own.  No hurry, this has at least a decade left i

This one is chugging along.  Perhaps a bit shut down from a bottle a few months ago, but it might have just been the bottle, night or me.  Still an outstanding bottle of wine.  Opened for friends who like to cook but at not into wine.  Come to think of it, the glasses were small and shallow and that may have been an issue as well.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has sea air, slight orange peel and honey.  On the palate, this is off dry.  It has a slightly viscous texture.  Honey, slight ginger, salinity, minerals and slight citrus.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Went great with

I brought this to dinner with a couple that usually take a small pour of my whites and move quickly on.  Not this time.  They both went back for seconds, which is of course, the best compliment to the wine.  Really in a good place, but it is Chenin Blanc, so it has a long life ahead of it.  Light golden in color.  The nose has a lovely salinity along with some apricots and orange peel.  Also a slight metallic minerality (in a good way).  On the palate, be forewarned, this is sweet.  Probably a bit more than off dry.  But it is lovely and deft and light on its feet.  The orange peel comes th