2018 Calera Santa Ynez Valley Central Coast Chenin Blanc
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Since our founding in 1975, we have been fascinated by the purity, elegance and aging potential of wines from mountain vineyards with limestone-rich soils. Planted in 1982, in the acclaimed Santa Ynez Valley appellation of California’s Central Coast, Curtis Vineyard is situated on rolling hills at an elevation of 1,100 feet. Grown in unique, fossil-rich soils, Curtis’s four-decade-old Chenin Blanc vines yield a golden-hued and beautifully concentrated wine, with luxurious layers of pear and citrus, underscored by bright acidity and sophisticated hints of wet river rock. To preserve the wine’s more delicate notes, it was aged entirely in neutral French oak and stainless steel.
Wine Enthusiast
93
Wine Profile
Production Notes
Varietal Composition: 100% Chenin Blanc
Winemaker Notes
This radiant wine captures the elegant sophistication of old-vine Chenin Blanc, offering fascinating aromas of Asian pear, lemon zest, beet root and jasmine. On the palate, vibrant acidity adds a poise and structure to viscous flavors of poached pear and orange blossom, with hints of wet river stones contributing complexity to the silky finish.
Production
The quality of the 2018 growing season on California’s Central Coast was fantastic. After warm early spring weather led to an early budbreak, the temperatures cooled in late-spring, followed by sunny days with moderate temperatures throughout the summer. This provided us with some of the longest hangtimes we have ever seen in a few of our Central Coast vineyards, which resulted in beautifully ripe flavors overall. At the same time, the temperate weather allowed the fruit to retain ideal acidity, yielding vibrant and complex wines, with excellent structure and alluring flavors.
Wine Specs
Wine Specs
Vintage
2018
Varietal
Chenin Blanc
Appellation
Central Coast
Acid
0.57g/100ml
pH
3.45
Aging
Aged 6 months in 60% French oak, 40% stainless steel
Alcohol %
13.8
Wine Enthusiast
93