Birichino Jurassic Park Vineyard Old Vines Chenin Blanc 2022
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Winemaker Notes
There’s lots of Chenin between here and Santa Barbara, but there is good reason to traverse all those miles. Of all the sites with which the winery works, Jurassic Park, planted on its own roots on quartz sand atop lime- stone in the late 1970s exhibits the most vintage variation, and small variations create very strong signals in the wine. Some years lean toward the lithe and appley; some towards the exotic; some toward the saline and chalky.
If there’s anything Jurassic Park has proven, it’s that eventually all of the elements of which Chenin Blanc is capable eventually show up, while still allowing each vintage to carry its particular marker. As always, this wine fermented in stainless without inoculation, and was aged until the following Spring in 8 stainless and 2 neutral French oak barrels.
Other Vintages
2015- Decanter
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Wine
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.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.