Aperture Cellars, North Coast (California) Chenin Blanc 2020

 We really, really need more Chenins like this from the USA.  This shows a style akin to some of the best renditions from South Africa, with medium-body, nice subtle scents of white blossoms, flavors recalling tropical and stone fruits with citrus edging, and an impeccably clean finish with terrific acidity but no sourness.  Although the Loire Valley in France is Chenin’s ancestral home, it is South Africa that has proved to the world that Chenin can be delicious without being either sweet (as Vouvray often is) or very expensive (as Savennières often is).  This is a fine contribution from California, and I hope plenty of others like it will appear in the years ahead.