{"title":"Chenin! Chenin! Chenin!","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"2023-thibaud-boudignon-anjou-blanc-loire-france","title":"2023 Thibaud Boudignon Anjou Blanc, Loire, France","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e100% Chenin Blanc\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHigh density plantings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e35 year old vines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrown on shallow soils of grey schist and rhyolite (volcanic soil)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndigenous yeast\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo malo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAged in 500L, 350L and 228L barrels (20% new)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Skurnik","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51930079002989,"sku":"18181","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0680\/5327\/0827\/files\/2023ThibaudBoudignonAnjouBlanc_Loire_France.jpg?v=1748363997"},{"product_id":"2022-testalonga-cortez-swartland-south-africa","title":"2022 Testalonga, Cortez Swartland, South Africa","description":"\u003cp\u003e‘Cortez’ comes from an organically farmed bush vine site planted in 1972. The vineyard is a special one, as it has been farmed organically since 2001 and every year, good or bad, it provides incredible tension in the wine. Craig attributes this to the high percentage of quartz\/silica in the soil. As for the label, Craig and Carla change it up every year to best suit the feeling they think the wine is giving. The photo on the label was taken by their daughter, Camilla. It was a puzzle piece that was lying around the house on their leather table top. The name, ‘Cortez,’ is apparently named after the Neil Young song, ‘Cortez the Killer.’ “But they built up with their bare hands what we still can’t build today…”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grapes were hand harvested and whole bunch pressed before fermenting spontaneously in four 500L old French puncheons and one 1500L stainless steel tank. After 11 months on the gross lees, the wine was blended \u0026amp; bottled with a gentle filtration and sulfur addition. No fining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-From the importer\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51932004057453,"sku":"18200","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0680\/5327\/0827\/files\/2022Testalonga_CortezSwartland_SouthAfrica.jpg?v=1746893501"},{"product_id":"2023-craven-keribib-chenin-blanc-stellenbosch-south-africa","title":"2023 Craven 'Karibib' Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eChenin Blanc is a variety that Mick has always wanted to work with but was waiting for the right vineyard to land in his lap. Toward the end of 2015, Mick came across the perfect site in the Polkadraai Hills, called the Karibib Vineyard. Jozua Joubert planted the vineyard in 1981 on an east-facing block and has been working with the Cravens to bring it back to a more ‘natural’ state. Initially trained on a single wire, it has been ‘let go’ over time and now grows more like a bush vine. Mick refers to it as a “faux bush vine” vineyard. The vineyard sits in a unique pocket that is characterized by hilly topography and subsequently varying elevations, providing sites on elevations from 200 to 1,300 feet above sea level. Aside from the differences in elevation, the layered soils vary from granite-based on the higher elevations to the lighter, more sandy soils in lower lying areas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe 2022 vintage marks a shift in the fermentation vessel for this wine. Whereas previous vintages of this wine used to be fermented in neutral oak, this vintage saw whole-bunch pressing to concrete “squares.” The juice was left to ferment naturally with full solids. It completed malolactic fermentation and it was then left on the lees for approximately four months before a single racking. In total it spent nine months in concrete before bottling. The wine is bottled unfined and sees just a light sheet filtration and a dash of sulfur before bottling.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51934788059501,"sku":"18216","price":38.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0680\/5327\/0827\/files\/2023Craven_Keribib_CheninBlanc_Stellenbosch_SouthAfrica_22b919f8-9930-44e0-8b53-96dc64d4ee85.jpg?v=1748111547"},{"product_id":"2025-catherine-et-pierre-breton-la-dilettante-vouvray-loire-france","title":"2025 Catherine et Pierre Breton, Brut 'La Dilettante', Vouvray, Loire, France","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith three decades' worth of harvests under her belt with her husband, Pierre, plus her own “dabbling” with Chenin Blanc since 2002, Catherine Breton is undeniably an authority on biodynamic farming and natural winemaking. Using these methods, she produces this fine sparkling Vouvray—bone-dry thanks to an extremely low dosage, richly honeyed and complex from refermentation in bottle, and mouthwateringly stony from the flinty soil. Sixteen years after vinifying her first Vouvray, it appears Catherine is “La Dilettante” no more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kermit Lynch","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52130772353389,"sku":"19081","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0680\/5327\/0827\/files\/2025CatherineetPierreBreton_Brut_LaDilettante_Vouvray_Loire_France.jpg?v=1755716576"},{"product_id":"2019-francois-pinon-vouvray-trois-argiles-loire-france","title":"2019 Francois Pinon Vouvray 'Trois Argiles', Loire, France","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"field field-name-field-description field-type-text-long field-label-hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field-items\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field-item even\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis is a pre-order item expected to arrive late-August 2025.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e100% Chenin Blanc. Trois Argiles brings together 3 parcels totaling 3.75 hectares and having a higher proportion of sandy clay (argile) over limestone versus other Pinon sites. These parcels are on an east-facing plateau above the Silex Noir parcels and are cooler and less humid; thus, harvest is a few days later but with low botrytis risk. The vines average 40 years old and have been certified organic since 2007. The fruit is harvested by hand, rigorously sorted and whole-cluster pressed. The juice flows by gravity into tank for a spontaneous native-yeast fermentation that lasts 2-3 months; it stops naturally in Pinon`s cold cellar carved into the tuffeau hillside. The wine is aged on its fine lees for 4-5 months in a variety of used oak ranging from 500-liter demi-muids to 20-hectoliter foudres. Trois Argiles is vinified and aged just like its Deronnières and Silex Noir counterparts, but usually comes out fuller-bodied, richer and riper-feeling, with residual sugar solidly in the demi-sec range. In 2018 the wine finished with 22 grams RS and 4.1 grams acidity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field-collection-container clearfix\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field field-name-field-press field-type-field-collection field-label-hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field-items\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field-item even\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field-collection-view clearfix view-mode-full field-collection-view-final\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field field-name-field-score field-type-text field-label-hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field-items\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field-item even\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"field field-name-field-review field-type-text-long field-label-hidden\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bowler","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52143741895021,"sku":"19104","price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0680\/5327\/0827\/files\/2019FrancoisPinonVouvray_TroisArgiles_Loire_France.jpg?v=1755801932"},{"product_id":"2022-haarmeyer-wine-cellars-vieux-chenin-blanc-clarksburg-usa","title":"2022 Haarmeyer Wine Cellars 'Vieux Chenin' Chenin Blanc Clarksburg, USA","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis is a pre-order item expected to arrive late-August 2025.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Baranek Vineyard is located in a land-locked portion of central Clarkburg in silty\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eclay loam soils. It’s the oldest planting of Chenin in the AVA (1978) by the first people to\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eplant grapes in Clarksburg. In 1960 they planted Chenin Blanc and Colombard. John\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBaranek, the second generation, wrote the Clarksburg AVA. He tells me that the\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebudwood used is of Wente origin and free of virus. This is a very exciting find for us and\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewe are trying to secure a lease on the last 4 acres of this delta gem. Trained VSP, these\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eold vines are still producing an abundance of fruit; about 4 tons to the acre in ‘22.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Cellar:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHand harvested, basket pressed to tank for an overnight settle, the must was racked to\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eneutral puncheons and barriques for an unaided fermentation. Malolactic fermentation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eoccurred spontaneously. The wine was aged on gross lees without batonage and\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebottled without fining or filtration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Numbers:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHarvested August 22\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e22.1 Brix\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e3.5pH\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e84 cases bottled August 15, 2023\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Selection Massale","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52143825355117,"sku":"19105","price":41.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0680\/5327\/0827\/files\/2022HaarmeyerWineCellars_VieuxChenin_CheninBlancClarksburg_USA.jpg?v=1755716642"},{"product_id":"2023-testalonga-skin-swartland-south-africa","title":"2023 Testalonga 'Skin' Swartland, South Africa","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"teaser__text\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Skin’ is the wine that started it all; it was Craig and Carla’s first wine in 2008, inspired by a skin macerated Vermentino from Antonio Perrino during a trip to Italy. The wine has come a long way and each year provides with new flavors. They have toned down on the extraction and have now stopped experimenting as much as they used to, finding the wine’s sweet spot in terms of skin contact and the balance of flavors they’re looking for. Overall, they’ve reduced the length of time they leave the wines on the skin as the goal here is to find elegance and focus within this particular style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grapes were hand harvested and de-stemmed before fermenting spontaneously as whole berries in open-top stainless steel tanks. After 14 days, the wine was pressed off the skins and sent to an old 3000L foudre. After 12 months, the wine was blended \u0026amp; bottled with a gentle filtration and very tiny sulfur addition. No fining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"teaser__btn\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"teaser__more\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-From the importer\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53268058866029,"sku":"21714","price":41.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0680\/5327\/0827\/files\/2023Testalonga_Skin_Swartland_SouthAfrica.jpg?v=1777562709"},{"product_id":"2024-thibaud-boudignon-anjou-blanc-loire-france","title":"2024 Thibaud Boudignon Anjou Blanc, Loire, France","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e100% Chenin Blanc\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHigh density plantings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e35 year old vines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrown on shallow soils of grey schist and rhyolite (volcanic soil)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndigenous yeast\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo malo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAged in 500L, 350L and 228L barrels (20% new)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Skurnik","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53295887221101,"sku":"21781","price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0680\/5327\/0827\/files\/2024ThibaudBoudignonAnjouBlanc_Loire_France.jpg?v=1780321330"}],"url":"https:\/\/leonandsonwine.com\/collections\/chenin-chenin-chenin.oembed","provider":"Leon \u0026 Son Wine and Spirits","version":"1.0","type":"link"}