2020 Chenin Blanc – Prince Vineyard

One of the many varietals within Prince Vineyard is Chenin Blanc: planted in 1995, 1996 and 2012 in nine separate blocks totaling 92.08 acres. The vineyard is in the Clarksburg Appellation, with an ideal location to maintain the natural acidity and floral bouquet.

To reflect on the 2020 growing season, we must look to the end of 2019. Our rain-season began with a good steady pace in late November and continued through early January, but Mother Nature turned off her spigot and we only had a couple good storms in March and April. As spring arrived, the vines awoke on-time, but the temperatures were erratic, resulting in shatter and poor berry set for many varietals. After a short heat spike in late May, summer temperatures were normal, and we had healthy vine canopies. In mid-August, lasting through September, high-elevation smoke from the wildfires was present off-and-on which likely moderated the forecasted high temperatures. In the end, most sensitive white varietals were harvested before the smoke arrived showing great quality aromatics and flavors, and the poor fruit set in many of our red varietals during the Spring gave us amazing concentration of flavor and aroma in the finished wines.

CLARKSBURG AVA – Located on the Sacramento River in the heart of the Delta, the Clarksburg AVA has a profound maritime influence. Cool mornings give way to warm afternoons and temperatures quickly cool again in the evenings. With land at or below sea level, the fertile soil attracts and holds nutrients and water which calls for constant monitoring.