The history of Chenin Blanc in the US and Washington

First, you must know that in Washington in the late 70s and early 80s there was quite a bit of planting going on.  People were trying out multiple varieties trying to see what would stick.  In the 80s this grape was very popular as a high acid and high yield variety that could be blended, often into jug wines some of which were actually labeled “Chablis” (of all things LOL)!  As palates changed many of these vines were ripped out.

Jean Ferguson of L’Ecole No. 41 loved Chenin Blanc, in particular the style from the Loire Valley in France known as Vouvray.  In the 70s many thought the climate in Washington would be suited to Chenin, due to their similar latitudes (The Yakima Valley is 46.32° and Vouvray in the Loire Valley is 47.41°) and many vineyards in the Yakima Valley were planted to Chenin Blanc.

So in 1987 they sourced fruit and made their first Chenin Blanc at L’Ecole.  This wine has become a standard at L’Ecole, sourced from old vines planted in 1979 in the Yakima Valley.

These old vines come from Upland Vineyard in the Snipes Mountain AVA as well as Willard Farms and Phil Church Vineyard both of which sit high into the foothills of the mountains north of the Valley.

Here is a shot of the old vines from Willard Vineyard.

As vines age, their roots dig down into the subsoil and find water.  At this age, they don’t stress easily.  Older, wiser, they can take loads more than their younger siblings when it comes to weather or drought.  You have considerably less vintage variation, these old vines are consistent.  They are also putting out fruit with more balance and concentration.

The love affair with Chenin Blanc in this country and Washington has changed. Once a darling, it fell out of favor for Riesling and Chardonnay.  I went to look for a list of Washington State White wines to see where Chenin Blanc ended up.  Chardonnay is the most planted white wine grape with 7,403 followed by Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.  Then you get to “Other Whites” with Pinot Gris (1,779 acres), Gewürztraminer (222 acres), Viognier(115 acres), and Semillon (95 acres). Chenin Blanc comes in under the next sub-category of “More:”  so I am assuming there is not much.  I found a 2017 report that had it listed at 67 acres.

So these are vineyards that are cooler due to altitude and it allows the grapes to ripen slowly and retain their acid.  This is a late-ripening variety and it’s often mid to late October before they harvest the Chenin Blanc.

Jean Ferguson, is surely responsible for saving some of those Chenin Blanc vines from being pulled out.  L’Ecole No. 41 currently has 14% of the market share for Chenin Blanc in the State of Washington. Thanks, Jean!

2020 Chenin Blanc Old Vines Yakima Valley

The 2020 Vintage was ripening during the fire season.  While there were no fires in the Yakima Valley, they did see smoke.  Luckily the Gulf Stream pulled the smoke out over the Pacific before pushing it back over this part of Washington.

What does that mean?  Well, smoke taint comes from early smoke.  Once it has been in the atmosphere for a while and blown around over the ocean, you still have air that is not the healthiest for humans, but no longer holds those volatile compounds that will mess up the grapes.

The haze from the smoke meant less sunlight which extended the growing season and the hang time.  So when it was clear and safe for the vineyard workers to get back out there, the grapes were ripe and happy and ready to be picked.

This wine did partial malolactic fermentation to round out this high acid wine, giving it just a bit of roundness in the mouthfeel.

The wine has notes of nectarine, honeysuckle, citrus zest, yellow apple, elderflower, and chalk.  On the palate, it adds some tropical notes like kiwi (which informed one of our toppings for our French Toast).

They made 3,200 cases of this wine, it sits at 13% abv and it sells for an amazing $17 per bottle!