2019 Lang & Reed Chenin Blanc Mendocino County

WSI93 WE92 This rich and mouthfilling wine from a producer that has long championed Chenin Blanc offers wonderfully subtle and layered flavors of baked apple, cream and nutmeg. Hints of vanilla, pear and peach emerge on the palate and linger on the finish.
Estate Notes: This Lang & Reed 2019 Chenin Blanc initially displays aromatic notes of linden blossom, white peach, and wildflower honey. Energetic fruit that mirrors the peach aromas unfolds on the palate with rounding flavors of white melon. The finish exhibits quiet confidence throughout the length of its smooth texture and very long-lasting flavors with just a hint of minerality. The wine, lifted and satisfying, possesses enough depth to gain complexity and nuance with a few years of cellaring. 361 cases produced.

The source for this bottling comes from a region in Mendocino referred to as the Talmage Bench. The vineyard, located on the east side of the Russian River in an area that has excelled in growing Chenin Blanc for any years, was planted in 1978 on a gentle, north-facing slope with excellent aspect that allows for great drainage and even ripening without too much heat accumulation. This wine’s vinification is a collaborative effort between Winemaker John Skupny and his son, Reed.

For this wine, the grapes were whole cluster pressed, left to settle for a day, and then transferred into 14 barrels, four of which were stainless steel and ten were French oak. Half of the barrels were left to ferment with the indigenous yeast, while the remaining half was inoculated with select organic yeast strains.