Tasting Notes: Right off the bat, this fresh and balanced Chenin Blanc shows notes of flint and apple skin aromas. On the palate, the weight and fruit concentration are balanced by elegant natural acidity. Quince and pear, with just the right touch of appealing reduction, make this a complex yet generously satisfying wine. A clean and dry finish with wonderful length adds to the mouthwatering nature of this exciting new wine.
Vineyard: Sterling Ranch - Talmage, Mendocino County AVA
Originally planted in 1980, Sterling Ranch is located in the Talmage benchland on the eastern edge of the Ukiah Valley. With gravelly loam soils, this site is farmed organically and sits on a gradual slope at elevations of 690-770ft.
Winemaking: Native yeast. Whole-cluster pressed. Fermented and aged in neutral French oak puncheons on the lees for 5 months.
Vintage: Following a wet winter, the late budbreak of 2023 led to a long, cool, and dry growing season with good yields and extended hangtime, allowing us to pick precisely when we wanted. Leading to wines of balance and full flavors at lower sugars and restrained alcohol, 2023 is marked as a superior vintage of excellent quality.
Technical Details:
Composition: 100% Chenin Blanc
pH: 3.05
TA: 7.4 g/L
Brix at harvest: 21.5
Alcohol: 13.4%
81 cases produced
The 16 Best Chenin Blancs for 2024"
"Owners Kyle Jeffrey, Brad Jonas, and Miriam Jonas focus Minus Tide on bringing elegance and balance out of the rustic vineyard landscapes of California's Mendocino AVA. This wine is made from vines planted in 1980, and the age shows in the complex texture of this delicious wine. The nose is rich and flinty, and the palate has a nice grip with a good depth of fruit.
This single-vineyard wine comes from vines planted when 'The Empire Strikes Back' came out (1980). Minus Tide’s mission is to bring elegance to the wines of the rustic coastal vineyard landscapes of Mendocino in Northern California. And wow, have they. The nose is rich and flinty and the palate has a wonderfully complex texture that lingers on the finish."
The Press Democrat
"Minus Tide Wines is a love letter to Mendocino County"
"Another standout is Minus Tide’s 2023 Chenin Blanc from Sterling Ranch — a boon for dry, aromatic white wine lovers (like myself) — with loads of pear, Golden Delicious apple, bright quince and mouthwatering acidity."
