2011 Vinum California Chenin Blanc-Viognier Half Case

6 x 2010 Vinum Clarksburg Chenin Blanc-Viognier

Vinum Cellars produces some of the brightest, freshest, most palate-tantalizing wines around. From rosé to Chardonnay, the winery offers fantastic vino that really delivers on value. Today's Chenin Blanc-Viognier blend does all that and holds a special place in the history of Vinum Cellars.

Vinum owners Richard Bruno and Chris Condos became friends as students at UC Davis, bonding over their shared love of lesser-known varieties. These self-proclaimed winemaking underdogs first collaborated in 1997 to craft a blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne inspired by the Loire Valley's great whites. Today's wine uses two of the Loire's white-wine grape trifecta: 80 percent Chenin Blanc, prized for its vibrant acidity and honeyed flavors, and 20 percent Viognier, known for its beautiful aromatic qualities. The end result is an Old World-styled wine with exquisite balance and freshness.

Avid Lot18 readers know that Vinum is my house wine. I don't think there are many winemakers out there that continue to produce consistently high-quality wines at such phenomenal prices. So stock up.

Tasting Note
Stylistically consistent with the 2010 – which was a hit with Lot18 members – the Vinum Cellars Chenin Blanc-Viognier is a lip-smacking and refreshing quaffing wine that will delight even your biggest wine snob friends. Its explosive floral and apricot aromatics alone make my mouth water. The dry, fruit-driven palate leads to a clean long finish. Enjoy a glass of this blend while making dinner or sitting around the pool.

—Stephanie DeMasi

Stephanie DeMasi has been General Manager and Managing Partner of Juslyn Vineyards on Spring Mountain for the last eight years. A New York City native, Stephanie graduated from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration and moved to Napa in 2002 to experience the harvest. She has earned the Advanced Certificate of the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and a Wine Spectator Restaurant Wine List Award in 2006 for her work at fresh, a restaurant in New York City. Follow Stephanie on Twitter: @StephanieDeMasi