February 2007 Wine Tasting Notes:
2005 Daniel Gehrs Pinnacles Chenin Blanc, Monterey.
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This Chenin Blanc is pale straw-colored. The nose opens with a light nuance of hay at first and reveals light citrus, green apple and honey aromas backed by floral notes. On the plate, honey and green apple dominate with distinct citrus and mineral overtones. The body is light and the bright, almost steely acidy along with a subtle mineral edge make for a refreshing mouthfeel. The modest finish continues the long citrus note with a touch of mineral. |
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RWB Score: 87 breakdown 12.9% Alcohol $12.00 Retail (from winery); Limited production. |
This crisp and invigorating cool climate Chenin Blanc is gracefully composed. All about nuance and composure, it offers a nice breadth of character with a zesty, but not angular, acidity. If not over-chilled, this wine will make a great warm weather social wine but will also cleanse the palate nicely. This excellent value wine should cellar well for 5 to 7 years. |
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More reviews of Daniel Gehrs Wines More on the Monterey AVA |
Cold-fermented in stainless steel, this wine is not permitted to undergo malolactic fermentation and is not aged in oak.
Originating from the Loire region in France, Chenin Blanc is a vigorous and very productive vine, resistant to many diseases. It is adaptable to a wide array of soil types but does not do well in extremely hot climates. Its growth cycle occurs early in the growing season and so it has managed to be one of the most successful vines in many parts of the world outside of France including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and South Africa. It is the third most widely planted variety in California. In its most common, dry table wine, incarnation it makes crisp white wine but also a delicate sparkling white wine. Its thin skin makes it susceptible to Botryitis – which, in the right circumstances, results in rich, flavorful dessert wines. In warmer climates and when allowed to overproduce, it has a tendency to be bland and uninteresting despite its high-acid content. In such situations, the wine loses a lot of its varietal characteristics and complexity. In California, it does best in Monterey County and in the Clarksburg AVA (Yolo County). The later is an exception to the trappings of a warmer growing region where producers make conscious efforts to manage their vines to give high quality Chenin Blanc. At its best, this variety displays green fruit, bright acidity and mineral tones. It expresses floral qualities of honey or honeysuckle, honeydew and cantaloupe as well as grassy or hay nuances. The latter can be quite distinct in Chenin Blanc from the Loire can have a musty or damp straw/hay quality.
The Pinnacles Ranch Vineyard is part of Estancia's 3 large properties in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties. Named after the Pinnacles National Monument (more information here and here), 840 of the ranch's 1,200 acres is currently under vine. The vineyard began to be planted in 1988. It is located at the foot of the Gabilan Mountains, near Soledad in the northern Monterey County. Monterey county is a huge AVA and the Pinnacles Ranch, by way of reference, it is roughly at the same level of latitude as Arroyo Seco AVA, on a frost-free bench above Salinas Valley. As is most of of Monterey County, this vineyard is well suited to cool-climate varieties. Cool morning and evening fog give burn off quickly, but the dramatic winds of the Salinas valley constantly move large masses of air through the area, adding to the cooling of the vineyard and give the vines repose form the warm days in the sun. There is relatively low annual rainfall in the area. The soils in the Pinnacles Vineyard are deep, sandy and rich with decomposed granite, limestone and iron oxide. As such they are well-draining and retain very little water or nutrients. Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Merlot, Pinto Noir and Syrah do well in this vineyard. In general, this terroir produces subtler, lighter wines with great expression of fruit and softer tannins.
The 2005 year saw an increase in crops over the preceding years. The year is being compared to the acclaimed 1997 vintage because of a very long and generally cool growing season without heat spikes. This long season resulted in extended hang times in even temperatures which gave the fruit good extraction but lower sugar levels. The slow ripening of the fruit is expected to make for elegance and balance in the wines of this vintage.
Daniel Gehrs developed his wine making expertise over the past 3 decades. He initially started making wine at home as a college student. Well armed for the job with a passion and a Political Science degree, he joined Paul Masson Vineyards, Saratoga, in the San Francisco Bay area. After two years there, he and his wife purchased Congress Springs Vineyards and spent sixteen years there making Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon from old vines under his own label. Over the next three years, Daniel and wife Robin migrated slowly south until they arrived back in Santa Barbara County and Daniel took on wine making responsibilities at Zaca Mesa. After four years, he left Zaca Mesa. He currently makes wines for several labels in addition to his own (including Lucas&Lewellen, Mandolina and Queen of Hearts) and is an active consultant to other producers in the area. He sources the fruit for his grapes from all over California. Stylistically, Daniel believes wine should be a companion to food and strives to make his wines food-friendly, with ower alcohol levels than most producers today.
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4 points |
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Nose |
3 points |
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Palate |
2 points |
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Finish |
2 points |
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Astringency/Minerality |
5 points |
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Acidity |
5 points |
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Alcohol |
5 points |
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Aging potential |
3 points |
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Overall quality |
8 points |
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