Friday, July 27, 2012

Dry Creek Vineyard 2011 Dry Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg


Chenin Blanc is a white grape with its origin in the Loire Valley of France. This versatile grape is high in acidity, allowing it to be finished in a range of styles from sparkling wine to sweet dessert wines. In the Vouvray region of the Loire it produces one of my favorite wines, slightly off-dry with a frizzante touch of bubbles.
For most of its time in the US, it was grown and blended in mass consumption jug wines. At the end of the last century winemakers in California’s Clarksburg AVA decided to make quality varietal Chenin Blanc a specialty. Since its founding in 1972, Dry Creek Vineyard has produced Chenin Blanc.
The 2011 DCV Chenin Blanc is ripe with a touch of sweetness. There is a lush tropical bouquet and on the palate there are rounded flavor notes of apple and citrus.
This is a wine for all occasions. Its food-friendly character earned it a place at the table. It’s also suitable for a beat-the-heat patio sipper or an aperitif or after dinner drink.
The alcohol level at 12.5% is lower than beefy California reds which edge near 15%. The sweetness is 0.6% residual sugar, which is dry with a spritz of sugar. That will make it popular with a wide spectrum of your guests. This wine also has the potential to age for three to five years, which is rare for a white wine.
Have you tired of tangoing with Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay? This bottle is a chance to enjoy some quality California Chenin Blanc at a very reasonable $12 price tag.
Full disclosure: This wine was received as a marketing sample.

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Rating: 3 of 5 Value: 3.5 of 5
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1 comment:

Bill Smart said...

Thanks for the awesome review on the 2011 Chenin Blanc.

It is such a perfect wine for summer sipping. Someone in our tasting room said yesterday that this wine is a porch pounder. I could not agree more!