Mission Codename Small and mighty
Sound the siren! Send the smoke signals up! Fire up the old facsimile machine and get the word out! A bonkers bargain alert! World-class Chenin under 15 bucks?!
From “one of the most coveted producers in the county” per Sonoma Magazine nonetheless. By now the genie is out of the bottle, and anyone who bought any of the many wines we offered knows… the same vinous magic is inside every La Pitchoune.
This particular bottling might just be our favorite. If you’re not already in love with Chenin Blanc get ready to be. When done in the right dry style, Chenin has brilliant acidity and minerality that pairs with a wide range of dishes. It can also fill in that brilliant ABCD (anything but Chardonnay dear) need so many of us have at times.
And best of all it’s HALF OFF the release price today so you have no excuse for not picking up a case. You literally cannot buy a decent entree for this price!
The Nielsens and the team behind La Pitchoune aim to make wine in a Burgundian fashion. Working with small farmers, producing just a few barrels at a time, and striving for the highest quality. The name “La Pitchoune” or “little one” even comes from a small vineyard in the South of France.
This Chenin Blanc comes from a unique vineyard site on Merritt Island surrounded by Elk Slough, Sutter Slough, and the Sacramento River. This tiny AVA is known for very fertile soil made of rich loam and cool breezes that leave wines with perfectly balanced acidity.
What’s in our glasses is exactly what you’d expect from the best of the Loire Valley. Juiciness, minerality, and richness are all in perfect harmony like a bone-dry Vouvray, it sweeps you off your feet. Aged in French oak of course, yet without going off the deep end into a butter-soaked adventure. It has a rich creamy feel to it, but retains plenty of crisp golden apple, yellow pear, green melon, and white nectarines all layered on top of perfumy honeysuckle, captivating exotic nuances, and a flinty charm that is sure to seduce.
No reviews or ratings for this vintage, however the previous one was endorsed by Wine Enthusiast as a “richly textured wine that offers doughy, figgy aromas, pastry-like flavors of butter, nutmeg and pie crust and subtle underlying lemon and baked apple flavors. Very interesting to sip for its complexity and depth.” And the one before by Jeb Dunnuck with “a citrus and dried herb bouquet, medium body, a soft, easygoing texture, and a good finish.”
And just like all the other gems from this French-inspired Sonoma winery, there is not much to go around. So, you better get some before it’s too late!
What the Winery Says
2019 'La Bombe' Merritt Island Chenin Blanc
- Winemaker
- Andrew Berge
- Varietal
- 100% Chenin Blanc
- Vintage
- 2019
- Alcohol
- 12.2%
- Appellation
- Merritt Island, Clarksburg, California
- Vineyards
- Wilson Farms
- Total acidity
- 6.8 g/L
- pH
- 3.44
- Harvest date
- August 25, 2019
- Aging
- 10 months
- Barrels
- 100% neutral French oak