2022 Jurassic Vineyard Chenin Blanc

The Jurassic Vineyard is situated in the Santa Ynez valley, at an elevation of about 1000 ft. The name pays tribute to the fossil-rich soils of the area. This own-rooted vineyard was planted in 1982 on very well-drained sandy and limestone-laden soils. A constant breeze from the cold Pacific cools down this sunny site, and the old vines are forced to search deep underground for nutrients and water. Over time, these conditions have turned the vineyard into a gnarly, but charming site for highly textural Chenin Blanc.

Hand-harvested fruit is whole-cluster-pressed using a gently Champagne-style cycle. The juice settles overnight with no additions and is then racked to neutral French oak barrels. Here the fermentation starts spontaneously and finishes leisurely in three to four weeks. The wine undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation, with the help of naturally occurring organisms and regular stirring of the lees. The elevage is complete aer approximately one year in barrel, after which it is racked off the lees cleanly and bottled without filtration.