Lot 921 2020 North Coast White Wine
You could drink any old Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Or, you could fill up on this an EXTRA-ORDINARY, rare blend.
This one was a blast to put together! Here’s the inside scoop on how Lot 921—a deliciously rare white blend—came to be. In early 2020, our viticulturist, Zeke, picked up the phone to find out a host of unique varieties originally destined for a master blender of kitchen-sink grapes was backing out of a deal. The caller offered Zeke Chardonnay and Bianchetta Trevigiana (an Italian variety) from Carneros, Viognier and Pinot Grigio grapes from Sonoma Mountain, and Grenache Blanc and Albariño from the Suisun Valley, east of San Francisco.
Zeke conferenced with the winemaking team to find out if they wanted all those varieties, and their collective thinking was immediately affirmative. They reasoned that if this legendary master blender was planning to bottle all those grapes into one blend—the Cameron Hughes team should do the same. It’s so rare that we get to flex our creative muscles with whites from California. It’s usually either Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. But not Lot 921. This white HAS IT ALL. The creaminess and ripe tropical and orchard fruit of Chardonnay; the zesty-bright acidity of Bianchetta Trevigiana; the fleshy, juicy, floral-driven qualities from Viognier and Pinot Grigio, balanced by the soft, silken, and highly aromatic notes from Grenache Blanc and Albariño. The result is pure aromatic magic. Lot 921 is a wine you could smell all day and night. And at $16 per bottle, you should drink plenty of it, too.
We’re pouring Lot 921 side-by-side with Sole Meunière or Coq au Vin Blanc, as the creamy fruit will complement the butter and cream of these dishes, while the bright acidity will cut through it. You could also enjoy it alongside fish and chips.
Watch as Wanda Mann, Wine Writer and Educator, walks us through a tasting and unravels the mysteries of this fantastic white wine blend.
Wine Tasting Highlights:
00:00 Introduction
00:20 Mysteries of a White Wine Blend
00:26 The Color
00:47 On the Nose
01:08 On the Palate
01:57 Great for Pairing or as an Aperitif
Tasting Video Transcript:
00:00:08 –> 00:02:19
Wanda Mann says:Hello, Wanda Mann here in the CH Wine Tasting Room with the really fun white wine blend from the north coast of California. This is Lot 921 2020 vintage. It’s a bit of a mystery. It’s not revealing too many of its secrets on the label white wine blend. But we’ll delve into that a little bit. But let’s look at that color.
I don’t know about you, but I see that and I think California sunshine, really golden in the bottle. As you can see. Nothing to hide, but also get a little closer so you can see the color there. In bright, kind of a burnished gold. It’s sunshine. It’s walking on the beach it’s just relaxing, it’s just chilling out. Oh, on the nose.
That same happy feeling. It’s very flirty. It’s peachy. It’s floral. I get a little bit of grassy ness, some lemon zest, a little bit of lime. This just feels like sunshine is just the smell is easygoing. It’s pretty is just like, just sip me already and stop talking. So that’s what I’m going to do.
Wow. A lot of flavor, a lot of texture. Again, I’m getting that peach on the palate. Maybe there’s some here. There’s a body to it. So I’m guessing maybe some Chardonnay is what I’ve been told. And a little bit of Pinot Grigio and that peachy-ness. Definitely the Viognier and that grassy note coming from the Sauvignon Blanc. So I’ve unraveled a little bit of the mystery, but the real mystery is how do you make something this delicious at this price point?
I love this wine because sometimes we say, Oh, I just want a simple white wine. And we think that means, oh, they didn’t really have to do much, but to take those grapes, put them together at this price point to create a really nice drinking experience. And what I love about this wine is you can enjoy it by itself or it is food friendly, I would think soft cheeses, a fresh ceviche, shrimp cocktail.
There’s so much you could do with this wine, but really just to sit and enjoy and even the dead of winter, if you want to imagine that you’re walking on the beach in California, in the sun, this is a great little virtual escape. So drink well and enjoy. Cheers.
Lot 918 Clarksburg Chenin Blanc
Lot 918 2022 Clarksburg Chenin Blanc, is a fruit orchard in a glass. We wish we could tell you the source winery for this alluring white, but an NDA prevents us from spilling the beans. We can tell you the Chenin Blanc grapes for Lot 918 come from a sustainably-farmed single vineyard along a winding river delta in Clarksburg, an hour and a half east of Napa. This area is known for its hot summer weather and long growing season. Cool breezes flow along the delta to bring temperatures down at night during those summer months of heat in California’s Central Valley.
The Lot 918 is zesty and fresh, bursting out the gate with white flowers, lime blossoms, candied peach, and apricot cream. Open and expansive on entry, with waves of beautiful silken fruit that call to mind kiwi, apricots, poached pear, peach ring, and even a hint of watermelon rind.
Now that you’ve got the picture Lot 918, imagine this: you, with a chilled glass of this off-dry Chenin in hand, surrounded by an appetizer bar stocked with plump, ripe, juicy farmer’s market fresh strawberries with whipped cream and chocolate sauce for dipping. It’s the kind of scene we’ll be repeating every Friday night for the foreseeable future. Will you join us?
If you’re a fan of sparkling wine, you’ll find a friend in this off-white. It has a kiss of sweetness, but the acid tension is so present that the wine is seemingly dry. One whiff, and you’ll be picturing a lush fruit orchard after a gentle summer rain.
Watch as Chris Lafleur, Sommeliers Creed for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting of this Clarksburg Chenin Blanc.
Wine Tasting Video Highlights:
- 0:00 Introduction
- 0:20 About Chenin Blanc
- 1:00 The nose of the wine
- 1:45 On the palate – Taste
- 2:43 Perfect Pairings
Lot 890 2021 Suisun Valley Viognier
Lot 890 2021 Suisun Valley Viognier comes to us from a high-end source winery in the Suisun Valley AVA which has been producing Viognier for over 4 decades – more so than almost any other winery in the state. Nestled between the Vaca and Coastal Mountain ranges, the picturesque Suisun Valley boasts a unique microclimate and diverse soils that contribute to the production of exceptional wines. Known for its cool maritime influences and warm, sunny days, its particularly well-suited for growing both Bordeaux and Rhône grape varieties like Viognier.
For those of you looking to diversify your whites selection for the Summer, look no further than this fantastically expressive varietal. The aromatics of Viognier are second to none thanks to naturally occurring high levels of terpenes (the compound that gives flowers their alluring scents). Additionally, when it goes through fermentation, that floral character is so stable that it doesn’t change, resulting in a wine that not only has a great fruit core, but a beautiful backbone of florality which keeps it fresh and lively on the nose and palate. We were only able to secure 100 cases of this gem, so grab a case or two quickly before it’s gone!
Lot 890 absolutely leaps out of the glass with beautiful aromatics of white flowers, mandarin oranges, and white blossoms underpinned by white peach and warm apricot. On the palate, that intoxicating florality is backed by stonefruit notes of peach, apricot, and lemon pith leading to a wonderfully fresh, mouthwatering finish. This is a wine to drink now and will pair exceptionally well with spicy Asian dishes, grilled or decadent seafood, or something light and playful like a summer salad with fresh-picked flowers.
Watch as Chris Lafleur, Sommeliers Creed for Cameron Hughes walks us through a tasting.
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