Another find at the local BevMo $0.05 sale, and another first taste of a variety for me.
The color is a very, very light straw yellow color. Not at all like the rich gold hues of chardonnay, much closer to the light coloring of pinot gris.
On the nose is a hint of honey that reminded me—quite a bit, actually—of the Chandon Pinot Noir Brut, though the two wines could hardly be less similar. Lots of citrus notes on the nose as well, though I couldn’t place them exactly—lemon? lime?
The name of the winery is Dry Creek Vineyard. The name of the wine is Dry Chenin Blanc. The winery is located in Healdsburg, near the Dry Creek Valley AVA (even if the grapes themselves are from Clarksburg, near Sacramento)—get where I’m going with this?
The wine is dry.
But I liked it. Quite a bit, actually. It finishes very clean, and dances on your palate with notes of almond, pear, and more of the citrus that you find on the nose. Really quite refreshing, light and fun. There’s enough acidity, too, that it could pair well with lighter fare (fish, perhaps).
All in all, a very nice introduction (for me, at least) to chenin blanc.
Verdict: 88/100