Lang & Reed Napa Valley Chenin Blanc 2016
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Tasting Panel
This special wine is made up of 100% Oak Knoll fruit -- still a rare variety for the Napa Valley, where only 14 acres are planted to Chenin Blanc. Lanolin and white flowers consume the nose; the result is so fragrant and pretty, one might hesitate to take the first sip. Fresh butter makes for a creamy palate (much lees-stirring took place!). There's also an undercoat of slate and a searing, tight acidity, but 13% ABV keeps it a fresh-tasting easy-drinker.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is 100% varietal and entirely from grapes grown in the Oak Knoll District, a cooler section of the valley. Aged minimally in both French oak and stainless steel the wine is noteworthy for its crispness and fleshy texture. Peach and apricot figure prominently alongside honey oak and a tease of salty brine. This is one of Napa’s classic whites for good reason
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Smelling and tasting of peaches and melons with hints of orange blossoms and the slightly stony and steely undercurrent that is typical of more serious Chenin Blancs, this intensely fruity effort is both rich and marvelously energetic with seamlessly integrated acidity brightening its way. The Lang & Reed pair from 2016 are both moderately full and slightly rounded in feel, but this one from the Napa Valley is the deeper, far more vital and involving wine of the two, and, if certain to hold up quite nicely for another half-decade, it is a thoroughly satisfying look at the variety that is drinking beautifully now.
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Wilfred
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John and Tracey Skupny have spent most of their adult lives involved with wine and wineries. Their love affair with wines has finally resulted in the creation of their own venture ("At last!" - as many of their friends would say.). Through connections built up over decades, John has been able to source prime vineyards for what are arguably the best examples, to date, of Napa Valley Cabernet Franc. With vineyard sources as diverse as Calistoga , Atlas Peak, Rutherford and St. Helena, the Skupnys have given us wines that delight the palate.
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.
As one of Napa’s coolest sub-appellations, the area begs for diversity among its vineyards. Merlot and Chardonnay firmly compete with Cabernet Sauvignon for a place here. Some of Napa’s best Zinfandels also come from the Oak Knoll District.
Situated far in Napa’s southern end, Oak Knoll receives a strong cooling influence from both the San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Coast’s evening fog and breezes. Summer days are warm but on average ten degrees cooler than in St. Helena farther north up the valley; summer nights are chilly. A long growing season promotes for leisurely ripening of grape berries, resulting in an impressive balance of sugars, phenols and acidity.
Notable producers include Trefethen, one of the appellation’s oldest wineries, Robert Biale, legendary Zinfandel producer and Lewis Cellars, a family-run, hands-on establishment.