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2020 Sterling Ranch Chenin Blanc | Mendocino County

90 POINTS, WINE ENTHUSIAST

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Leo Hansen (of Leo Steen) is one of our Wineartists. He has crafted this incredibly beautiful, minerally chenin for our wine portfolio.

The grapes are from The Sterling Ranch vineyard, planted in the late 1970's by a Danish farmer, Tim Norgard. It's only fitting that one of the premier Chenin-makers in California would be a Dane that would source its fruit for his wine. 

A rolling, northeast facing, terraced vineyard, it gets morning sun and regular afternoon breezes.

These old vines produce tiny, concentrated berries that ripen at low sugar.

They are foot-tread to extract phenolics from the skins, gently pressed to settle the fruit, then the juice rests in stainless steel for ~ a month. It's then fermented and aged in neutral french oak barrels for ~eight months, then returned to stainless steel. 

Spontaneously fermented. Unfiltered and unfined.

 

Tasting notes: Pale yellow in color. Showcases a subtle honey and citrus-fruit nose. Quince paste, orange blossom, chamomile, jasmine, straw with a body and mouthfeel that only that high skin-to-berry ratio can give a wine. Delicate, yet with a strong concentration to it. The honey note will continue to develop over time as it ages. Bone-dry finish.

Pairs perfectly with vegetables or salads. Its oak-aging makes it a lovely companion to heavier cream-based chicken or fish dishes. Its acidity makes it a welcome partner to spicy or asian cuisine. 

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Fermentation: Stainless steel 1 mo + neutral french oak for 8 mos

Total cases produced: 112

One Wine | Two Labels 

% Alc by Vol: 13.0%

Winemaker: Leo Hansen