Chenin Blanc

Another gorgeous bottle from one of the top producers of Vouvray.  Light golden in color.  The nose is great.  Lots of minerality with pears, quince and saline.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Ripe quince and orange peel with underlying minerality.  Great smooth texture.  Nice balance.  Long finish.  This is slightly sweet but certainly not overt.  This should last for a couple of decades although Huet has had some issues with random bottles prematurely oxidizing.  Still, laying a few down and drinking some young is a nice strategy.  This drinks great on its own and would work well

Huet is perhaps my favorite producer of Chenin Blanc in the world.  These are wines that will last for decades and drink well young (with a bit of air).  This is one is demi-sec or off dry.  Light golden in color, shimmering bright.  The nose is pretty with orange peel, slight peach, sea air and minerals.  Medium to full bodied.  Slightly sweet but not cloying, which is nicely balanced by acidity.  Delicious with flavors or oranges apples and peaches over a mineral base.  Long finish.  If well stored, this should drink well for fifteen more years or more.  Lovely on its own, it will work ni

This is a Chenin Blanc from the central part of the Loire Valley.  Medium "olde" gold in color  with just a touch of copper.  The nose is very nice with lots of minerals, a bit of salinity and some orange peel.  On the palate, this is dry.  Nice citrus with some orange pith and underlying minerality.  Slightly tart on the finish.  A lovely, slightly oily texture.  Chenin ages very well and this is still drinking well.

Just an outstanding bottle of wine from a wine that is just about always great!  Light golden in color with slight green swirls.  A gorgeous nose with honey, pineapple, great minerality, salinity and crushed shells.  On the palate, this is slightly viscous.  Slightly sweet.  Wonderfully balanced.  Peaches, honey, red apples with underlying minerality.  Long finish.  This is just delicious.  Easy to drink.  Consumed over two nights it was very different but great on both nights.  Much more seamless on the second night if a bit less exuberant.  This will work well with salads and also spicy f

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