Aperture Chenin Blanc 2020
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James
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Robert
Parker -
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Jeb
Dunnuck
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Baked apple, pear, dried lemon, cardamom and chamomile on the nose. Some toasty notes, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with bright acidity and a flavorful, layered palate. Good balance of fruit and spice. Dry and creamy textured. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Chenin Blanc comes from dry-farmed old vines in Clarksburg, harvested around the 24th of August and fermented and aged in stainless steel and neutral French oak. The nose offers gregarious grilled peaches, lemongrass and beeswax with touches of flint and candle smoke. The medium-bodied palate balances fresh acidity with a pleasantly waxy texture, and it finishes with honeyed nuances that suggest it may develop more savory character over the next 2-3 years in bottle. It drinks well on its own but will match a wide variety of cuisine. Best After 2022
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Wine Spectator
This has wonderful richness, with a touch of toasty brioche and a drizzle of honey to the apricot, pineapple and nectarine flavors at the core. Reveals hints of honeysuckle and dried thyme on the juicy finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A beautiful example of the variety, the 2020 Chenin Blanc (100% Chenin Blanc from very old, dry-farmed vines) has plenty of citrus and dried herb aromatics as well as a medium-bodied, fresh, lively style on the palate that offers remarkable purity of fruit. There are 1,300 cases produced.
Other Vintages
2022-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Tasting
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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Wilfred
Wong
Never mind the six million album covers around the world that feature Andy Katz’s photographs, or his dozen books of gorgeous photos that grace countless coffee tables around the country, or the many awards on his mantel earned from five decades of work around the world. It was all an excuse. An excuse to drink world class wine. To learn what it takes to make world class wine. And to spend time with his young son Jesse. Andy brought Jesse to the the most famous vineyards on earth, from the heart of Burgundy to the hills of Tuscany. He may not have admitted it at the time, but Andy’s gambit worked. Barely a decade later, Jesse is now one of the most exciting — and accomplished — winemakers in the world, recently gracing the cover of Wine Enthusiast as a rising young star who is doing nothing less than “changing the way the world drinks.” The son of a man who, through his photographs, changes the way the world sees wine. It’s a perfect combination. Jesse supplies the grapes, Andy supplies the images. And together they make wines worthy of their travels. Aperture. World class wines. Katz and Katz. A world class pairing.
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
The vineyards just inland from the Sacramento River Delta, along the deep banks of the Sacramento River, comprise the Clarksburg AVA. The River Delta channels in cold air and fog from the Pacific Ocean creating a cooling effect in this area. Warm summer days quickly change to chilly evenings and make a great environment for grape growing. While a range of grape varieties grow here, Chenin blanc stands out the most, distinguishing itself in the appellation.
The Clarksburg Wine Growers and Vintners Association, made up of nearly 50 grower members and over a dozen wineries, has been working since the late 1980s to promote the high quality wine of its region.