2019 Chenin Blanc, Alder Springs Vineyard
When I got a call from Stu Bewley in September of 2019 offering me some of his fantastic Chenin Blanc I simply couldn’t say no. Alder Springs Vineyard has had my heart since the first time I visited back in 2017. I borrowed a duck delivery van from Jennifer Reichardt, made the trek to Laytonville and returned with two bins of green/yellow/rose gold.
When I got a call from Stu Bewley in September of 2019 offering me some of his fantastic Chenin Blanc I simply couldn’t say no. Alder Springs Vineyard has had my heart since the first time I visited back in 2017. I borrowed a duck delivery van from Jennifer Reichardt, made the trek to Laytonville and returned with two bins of green/yellow/rose gold.
When I got a call from Stu Bewley in September of 2019 offering me some of his fantastic Chenin Blanc I simply couldn’t say no. Alder Springs Vineyard has had my heart since the first time I visited back in 2017. I borrowed a duck delivery van from Jennifer Reichardt, made the trek to Laytonville and returned with two bins of green/yellow/rose gold.
The Production
The Chenin Blanc got a gentle foot tread and stayed on the skins for about 4 hours. I then loaded into a basket press and gave her a squeeze. It was pressed into a flex-egg then relocated to and fermented in one neutral oak barrel and one small stainless steel drum. The Chenin was kept in a cool room which allowed for a long, slow fermentation. I racked off of the gross lees and then stirred the barrel 2x week for a month. It finished ML about a month after the wine went dry. I added 30ppm SO2 right before bottling in early September.
The Bottle
Overall the Chenin is a bright, funky, bone dry expression of the variety. It shows some minerality typical of Alder Springs and has just a touch of texture from the foot treading and lees stirring. A little bit of VA gives it “standing on tippy toes” quality. Raw almond, green apple, quince, chamomile and electricity!
The Vineyard
Alder Spring Vineyard is located on a hilly 6,000-acre ranch in far northern Mendocino County. At elevations ranging from 1,700 to 2,700 feet, “everyone’s dad” Stu Bewley practices his patented brand of extremist viticulture on a patchwork of vineyards perched along the steep sandstone slopes of the Coast Range. The mountainous ranch is a decidedly challenging spot to cultivate grapes, but the results are beloved by all who have the opportunity to work with this site.
The Chemistry
pH: 3.16
TA: 8.4
ABV: 12.3%
So2: 30ppm added
Soil: Decomposed sandstone, clay, gravely Loam
Farming: Practicing organic