The 2023 Aperture Chenin Blanc hails from the Clarksburg AVA near California's Sierra Foothills. Winemaker Jesse Katz says that the 40-year-old, dry-farmed vines there benefit from cooling breezes that come in from the San Joaquin River Valley. Fermentation was done in various vessels (cement, neutral French oak, and stainless steel) to preserve the freshness and transparency of fruit from what Katz noted was an early-ripening vintage. An Incredibly bright nose of pear, white peach, white pepper, and chalky minerals with springtime flowers marks the nose. Acid-driven freshness is immediately prevalent on the palate, like a fresh squeeze of lemon intermixed with lemon zest, lime blossoms, apricots, marionberry, and white raspberry. The flavours are all fueled by a saline-mineral finish that keeps everything super bright and lifted. Easily one of the brightest, most focused expressions of this wine ever, and at 12.2% alcohol, it is eminently food-friendly and an easy quaffer.
95 points, Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter (Mar 2024)
A light-bodied, very fresh and dry wine with aromas of minerals and wet stones. Great acidity balances a creamy lemon curd character that’s bright and clean. Only 12.2% alcohol. Drink now or hold.
94 points, Jim Gordon, James Suckling (Mar 2025)
Raised mostly in stainless steel, but 20% in neutral French oak and a splash in 5% cement, the 2023 Chenin Blanc displays a bright yellow/silver hue and is floral and dewy, with fresh aromas of white blossoms, baby powder, starfruit, and candied citrus. Medium-bodied, it’s bright through the finish, with an elegant, linear, and weightless feel. It’s really pretty and never feels austere. Coming from vines planted in the 1940s, this is a very appealing wine to drink over the next 6-8 years.
93 points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (Jun 2024)
It is exciting to see Chenin Blanc finally getting its due in Northern California. The aromatic white grape has long been a favorite of mine. This one has aromatics that remind the senses of the rocky soils in which this grape thrives- notes of fleshy stone fruit, citrus peel, white florals, and dried herbs on the nose; the flavors on the palate are more developed because the wine has time to rest in the bottle. The white nectarine and grapefruit layered throughout the slivers of limestone make for a lip-smacking dry finish.
93 points, Tonya Pitts, Wine Enthusiast (Dec 2025)
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