The versatile Chenin Blanc is an easy wine to love. The primary white wine grape of the Loire Valley in France, Chenin Blanc is also widely grown in South Africa. In California, throughout the 1980s, there was actually more Chenin Blanc planted in California than in France. Thirty years ago, there were more than 2000 acres planted in Napa Valley, although most was planted in the hot Central Valley and used as a workhorse grape that added acidity to blends. Plantings of Chenin Blanc declined and only 17 bearing acres were reported in 2016. Luckily, a number of California producers recognize the beauty of Chenin Blanc and one of these producers is Rory Williams of Calder Wine Company. The Calder Wine Company 2017 Chenin Blanc, Galleron Vineyard Rutherford, Napa Valley is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

Calder Wine Company is the label of winemaker Rory Williams. Named after his middle name, Rory comes from a winemaking family. His parents founded Frog’s Leap Winery and Tres Sabores, both located in Rutherford.

Rory sources the Chenin Blanc from the organic, dry-farmed Galleron Vineyard in Napa Valley. The grapes were foot stomped and spent three hours on the skins. The grapes were fermented in neutral oak and stainless steel and then combined and aged on the lees for 6 months.

The resulting wine is rich and savory with aromas of stone fruit, citrus and honeycomb. This is a wine of texture and it finishes with fresh acidity and depth of flavor.

Only 49 cases were made of the Calder Wine Company 2017 Chenin Blanc, Galleron Vineyard Rutherford, Napa Valley which retails for $22 per bottle.