Chenin Blanc is *the* Californian white grape, not just the one you forgot about. It used to be the most planted grape in the state (as late as the 1990’s it was the most planted grape in Napa!). And we think Craig Haarmeyer’s one of the two or three greatest Chenin Whisperers in the state of California. This is his Chenin 101, made from the Sutter Ranch Vineyard deep in the coolest part of the Clarksburg AVA. Sandy soils and marine breezes yield a classic and easy Chenin: there’s crisp acids and texture both, with notes of crushed oyster shells, lemon peel, and a vague sense of freshly cut herbs.
