Joe's Winos Wine Club june 2018

DRY CREEK VINEYARD

DRY CHENIN BLANC 2016

Chenin Blanc has a stable home in the Loire Valley where, in the region of Vouvray, it has garnered respect since the 9th century. This grape has had a very different experience domestically. Chenin Blanc was widely planted in California but the vigorous plant required vineyards to control their yields which are 2 1/2 times that of Loire Valley's Chenin Blanc. Without thinning their harvests, this wine, known for its exotic aromas, bright acidity and lush, juicy palate, were lost to a fairly muted iteration of itself. Plantings of Chenin Blanc in California went from 2,000 acres in 1980 to 20 acres by the year 2000. In the same time frame Chardonnay went from 1,600 acres to 7,000. The grape's huge success outside of France such as South Africa, where it's known as Steen has driven renewed attention to growing techniques to produce high quality Chenin Blanc in California. Now a multitude of winemakers are seeking out this versatile varietal with impressive results. Dry Creek's 2016 Chenin Blanc offers aromas of lime zest, green apple skin, lemon meringue, white pepper, thyme, crab apple, Vietnamese cinnamon, wet stone, and wool. The palate is initially soft and viscous with bright acidity and minerality throughout the mid palate. Dragon fruit, starfruit and kumquat are finished by hints of cinnamon and pink peppercorns.

Pairings:

Pork Chops with apples, Smoked Salmon, Herb-crusted goat cheese.

ROBERT TURNER

PINOT NOIR 2013

This month's Pinot Noir bids farewell to a wonderful winemaker and equally great guy. For various reasons, Bob Turner is no longer going to be making wine. This release marks his last vintage and we're sad to see him go. He has written this little bio to help us follow his story.

Robert Turner grew up in Memphis. After dental school the Navy sent him to California for 3 years, and he and his wife Shirley, loved it so much they stayed for another 40 years, all in the Bay Area. He established a dental practice in Palo Alto, and in the 1970s and 80s he and Shirley began visiting wineries and collecting California wines. In 1986 he started making wine with friends in the Santa Cruz mountains above Stanford, and taking courses at UC Davis in Enology and wine chemistry. In 1998 he converted the back of his garage in San Francisco into a small winery , and enlisted the help of neighbors and friends to crush grapes and bottle the wines. In 2005 he moved his barrels and wines to a winery in St. Helena in the Napa Valley and started Robert Turner Wines as a business venture.

This 2013 Pinot Noir was made from grapes sourced at Dutton Ranch near Sebastapol in the Russian River area of Sonoma County. It has a beautiful ruby color complemented by lovely violet and cranberry notes in the bouquet. This has a graceful, elegant style with a core of ripe plum and black cherry flavors. There is a fresh, vibrant acidity, which on the palate ends with a clean, pure finish. Drink now through 2022. 189 cases bottled February 2015.

PAIRINGS:

Coq au Vin, Seared duck breast, Black Truffle Gouda.