2021 Denier-Handal Chenin Blanc Viognier Blend, North Coast
Tasting Notes
We are always on the lookout for something new. Three years ago, we decided to offer a variety of white wines. Our market is well served by the large production of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. We started testing a wide variety of fresh, fruity white wines made with other great European grape varieties. We chose to start with a wonderful Viognier, a Chenin Blanc Blend, and the Portuguese grape, Verdelho. All of these are grown in North Coast vineyards. We are certainly happy with the results. We’re sure you will find these different wines a welcome change of pace.
Beautiful color, bright aroma of spring flowers and apricots. On the palate, fruity floral flavors with a mildly nutty finish. Great paired with fresh cheeses, prosciutto, and sweet pea risotto.
Harvest notes:
This North Coast treasure is a combination of fruit from two small privately owned vineyards within the North Coast AVA.
Specs
Varietals: 66% Chenin Blanc, 34% Viognier
Harvest: September 2021
In the Cellar: Aged in stainless steel and neutral American and French Oak Barrels
Length of time in fermentor: 10 days
Bottled: June 2022
Alcohol: 13.8%
pH: 3.3
Residual Sugar: Less than 0.1%
Winemaker: Lucas Meeker
2021 Denier-Handal Viognier Blend, Knight’s Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
This is our first vintage of Viognier and we are pleased with the results. The grapes are grown on old vines in a vineyard in Knight’s Valley in Sonoma County, California. This wine is 95% Viognier and 5% Verdelho which adds to its crispness. This wine reminds of baked golden delicious apples, along with the traditional notes of Viognier including tropical fruits, vanilla, and light spice. This wine pairs well with fat-friendly foods such as cheese and alternately Asian dishes.
Full-bodied floral aroma. Classic flavor includes hints of tropical fruit, herbal notes, and a clean finish. Perfect with rich fatty foods.
Harvest notes: Viognier from a small beautiful vineyard in Knight’s Valley.
Specs
Varietals: 95% Viognier, 5% Verdelho
Harvest: September 2021
In the Cellar: Aged in stainless steel and neutral American and French Oak Barrels
Length of time in fermentor: 10 days
Bottled: June 2022
Alcohol: 14.2%
pH: 3.3
Residual Sugar: Less than 0.1%
Winemaker: Lucas Meeker
What’s Included
4-bottles:
2x 2021 Denier-Handal Chenin Blanc Viognier Blend, North Coast
2x 2021 Denier-Handal Viognier Blend, Knight’s Valley, Sonoma County Case:
6x 2021 Denier-Handal Chenin Blanc Viognier Blend, North Coast
6x 2021 Denier-Handal Viognier Blend, Knight’s Valley, Sonoma County
An award-winning, family-run winery in the heart of Dry Creek Valley
For over twenty years we were primarily grape growers selling our premium grapes to some of the best wineries in Sonoma and Napa counties with whom we have long standing relationships. One of our client-wineries was Wellington Vineyards in Glen Ellen owned by the Wellington family of Sonoma. Peter Wellington, owner-winemaker, produced award-winning, vineyard specific Cabernet Sauvignons, including one from our Dry Creek Vineyard. Peter Wellington helped us develop and make our wines. We grew and produced boutique lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Sagrantino, and Zinfandel at the Wellington facility in Glen Ellen. Currently we produce our selection of wines at the Meeker custom crush facility in Healdsburg and receive consulting support from David Noyes.
Though no longer farmers, we source grapes from our farming colleagues in the counties throughout the north coast appellations of California. We source varieties of grapes from small family owned vineyards that follow high standards that include organic practices and support sustainability. These farming relationships ensure that our grapes will continue to produce award winning premium wines.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Very happy to be selected to Lab Rat Denier-Handal Vineyards’ 2021 Chenin Blanc/Viognier Blend AND 2021 Viognier Blend! Both bottles came out of the fridge and were enjoyed with some Thai take-out, including crab cheese wontons, pineapple curry, and Pad Thai.
First, the Chenin Blac/Viognier Blend. The color is a nice medium-pale gold. The nose, even straight from the fridge, is vibrant with ripe apricot, honey suckle, and tea. The body is lush medium-full, with bright acidity, low perceived alcohol, and bone dry. The taste follows the nose with an encompassing array of stone fruit, yellow apple, and floral flavors. The wine does not want to leave, with a long, slow finish throughout the palate. The wine is definitely nice on its own but prefers to be served with food. It did a wonderful job balancing the cream cheese in the wontons and complimenting the sweet and light spiciness of the pineapple curry. With the moderately spicy Pad Thai, it held its own making for a nice contrast to chili oil and peanut flavors.
Second, the Viognier Blend. The color is a slightly lighter pale gold. The nose is delightfully floral with hints of tropical fruit and minerality. The Viognier is also medium-full bodied with bright acidity and bone dry. The mouth feel on this is wonderful with bright flavors of lightly-baked apple, honey suckle, and a little tangerine. There is a nice cleansing tartness with a slightly astringent finish. The Viognier accompanied the Thai food very similarly.
These are both very nice white wines that play very well with fattier cheeses and can contrast/compliment Asian cuisine. The body of these wines makes them a year-round drinker for me. A well accompanied charcuterie board, a bottle of either of these whites, and good friends sounds like a wonderful afternoon.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2021 Denier-Handal Mixed Whites - $40 = 24.23%
After my last unhinged review - I was worried that I’d never be asked to rat again. So I was pretty happy when I got the email to notify me that I had more rattage coming, and I was super excited to see that I had received TWO bottles to test drive: Denier-Handal Vineyards’ 2021 Chenin Blanc/Viognier Blend and 2021 Viognier Blend.
It’s also finally nice enough (for now) that these weren’t hot AF coming off of the delivery truck, so I decided to open one right out of the box because why not. The first one I grabbed was the Viognier Blend - so that was the one I went with.
It’s a pale straw/goldish color (both are) and it smelled surprisingly sweet to me - at least sweeter than I anticipated. Very floral and tropical. Almost perfume-like in a way, and I may have huffed it a little too long because I got some side-eye from the husband.
The taste: You know that spot in the back of your mouth that twinges when you have something tangy/punchy? It’s that. It’s tangy/tart and very bright up front, with a very soft finish that doesn’t last long. It’s not sweet, but it’s not dry either - but it’s very refreshing. I didn’t pair it with anything this first go-round, which wasn’t a problem because it didn’t need anything to help it along like other wine sometimes do.
I think the Chenin Blanc/Viogner Blend was a little more subtle in terms of smell, but much bigger in taste. It was a little more dry than her sister, but still tangy and tart. I got more apple in this bottle than the other, while I got more stone-fruit in the Viognier. However, this wine wanted to hang out a little longer after you were done sipping, and I think it could have benefited from something fatty to eat with it. Don’t get me wrong, this also stood on it’s own, but not as well as the Viognier.
I did put both in the fridge to try them cold, but I’ll be honest. I preferred them both at room temp. I felt like I lost a lot of the tropical tanginess that I enjoyed when they were cold, and got more floral notes. They were still good, but my preference has always been the more astringent/acidic/citrus type stuff, so I’ll continue to be a wine philistine and leave these at room temp.
I intended to pair them both with eats, but I ended up casually finishing the Viognier by itself without even thinking about it - I enjoyed it that much. However, the blend was paired with only the FINEST of leftover Halloween candy (Reece’s PBC’s thank you very much) and it actually stood up pretty well! Where it really shined though, was when I had it with a simple whitefish dinner. The garlic butter really pulled some deeper flavors out of this wine and helped balance it juuuuuuust a little bit more. I think that tiny introduction of fat/oil really brought this bottle to the next level and I imagine this would be a stellar pair with a charcuterie board. Or a lunchable. Whatever floats your boat.
And yes, I did swig it from the bottle like the classy person I am because now it’s a thing. Still delicious, and I still enjoyed them, but these wines both lost a lot in translation without a proper pour. It do be like that sometimes.
Anyhow - I enjoyed these very much, so if you have a chance to pick some up, I recommend!
@denierhandal My gut would be to go with thin mints simply because those are really the ONLY girl scout cookie, but I think the mint would really overpower the intricate delicacy of these wines.
Samoas would probably be great, especially with the tropical-ness of the coconut, but my money is on something really simple like shortbread.
It’s been fun to be able to offer these two white wines with our strong line up of reds. The Viognier comes from a vineyard in Knight’s Valley and my father is so proud of the partnership he has with the vineyard owner. The fruit is so good we had Lucas add the Viognier to the Chenin Blend as well as on its own.
2021 Denier-Handal Chenin Blanc Viognier Blend, North Coast
Tasting Notes
Harvest notes:
Specs
2021 Denier-Handal Viognier Blend, Knight’s Valley, Sonoma County
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $336/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 27 - Tuesday, Nov 28
Denier-Handal Mixed Whites
4 bottles for $54.99 $13.75/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $124.99 $10.42/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2021 Denier-Handal Chenin Blanc Viognier Blend
2021 Denier-Handal Viognier Blend
Looks super interesting!!!
Very happy to be selected to Lab Rat Denier-Handal Vineyards’ 2021 Chenin Blanc/Viognier Blend AND 2021 Viognier Blend! Both bottles came out of the fridge and were enjoyed with some Thai take-out, including crab cheese wontons, pineapple curry, and Pad Thai.
First, the Chenin Blac/Viognier Blend. The color is a nice medium-pale gold. The nose, even straight from the fridge, is vibrant with ripe apricot, honey suckle, and tea. The body is lush medium-full, with bright acidity, low perceived alcohol, and bone dry. The taste follows the nose with an encompassing array of stone fruit, yellow apple, and floral flavors. The wine does not want to leave, with a long, slow finish throughout the palate. The wine is definitely nice on its own but prefers to be served with food. It did a wonderful job balancing the cream cheese in the wontons and complimenting the sweet and light spiciness of the pineapple curry. With the moderately spicy Pad Thai, it held its own making for a nice contrast to chili oil and peanut flavors.
Second, the Viognier Blend. The color is a slightly lighter pale gold. The nose is delightfully floral with hints of tropical fruit and minerality. The Viognier is also medium-full bodied with bright acidity and bone dry. The mouth feel on this is wonderful with bright flavors of lightly-baked apple, honey suckle, and a little tangerine. There is a nice cleansing tartness with a slightly astringent finish. The Viognier accompanied the Thai food very similarly.
These are both very nice white wines that play very well with fattier cheeses and can contrast/compliment Asian cuisine. The body of these wines makes them a year-round drinker for me. A well accompanied charcuterie board, a bottle of either of these whites, and good friends sounds like a wonderful afternoon.
Cheers!
Edit: the value on these is fantastic!
I don’t recall ever having a white Denier-Handal but I’ve purchased every red offering here and on the old site, so in for 2 cases.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2021 Denier-Handal Mixed Whites - $40 = 24.23%
@chipgreen
Thank you. Yes, Lucas is our winemaker. Peter Wellington was our winemaker when he has Wellington Vineyards in Glen Ellen.
Another rat, checking in!
After my last unhinged review - I was worried that I’d never be asked to rat again. So I was pretty happy when I got the email to notify me that I had more rattage coming, and I was super excited to see that I had received TWO bottles to test drive: Denier-Handal Vineyards’ 2021 Chenin Blanc/Viognier Blend and 2021 Viognier Blend.
It’s also finally nice enough (for now) that these weren’t hot AF coming off of the delivery truck, so I decided to open one right out of the box because why not. The first one I grabbed was the Viognier Blend - so that was the one I went with.
It’s a pale straw/goldish color (both are) and it smelled surprisingly sweet to me - at least sweeter than I anticipated. Very floral and tropical. Almost perfume-like in a way, and I may have huffed it a little too long because I got some side-eye from the husband.
The taste: You know that spot in the back of your mouth that twinges when you have something tangy/punchy? It’s that. It’s tangy/tart and very bright up front, with a very soft finish that doesn’t last long. It’s not sweet, but it’s not dry either - but it’s very refreshing. I didn’t pair it with anything this first go-round, which wasn’t a problem because it didn’t need anything to help it along like other wine sometimes do.
I think the Chenin Blanc/Viogner Blend was a little more subtle in terms of smell, but much bigger in taste. It was a little more dry than her sister, but still tangy and tart. I got more apple in this bottle than the other, while I got more stone-fruit in the Viognier. However, this wine wanted to hang out a little longer after you were done sipping, and I think it could have benefited from something fatty to eat with it. Don’t get me wrong, this also stood on it’s own, but not as well as the Viognier.
I did put both in the fridge to try them cold, but I’ll be honest. I preferred them both at room temp. I felt like I lost a lot of the tropical tanginess that I enjoyed when they were cold, and got more floral notes. They were still good, but my preference has always been the more astringent/acidic/citrus type stuff, so I’ll continue to be a wine philistine and leave these at room temp.
I intended to pair them both with eats, but I ended up casually finishing the Viognier by itself without even thinking about it - I enjoyed it that much. However, the blend was paired with only the FINEST of leftover Halloween candy (Reece’s PBC’s thank you very much) and it actually stood up pretty well! Where it really shined though, was when I had it with a simple whitefish dinner. The garlic butter really pulled some deeper flavors out of this wine and helped balance it juuuuuuust a little bit more. I think that tiny introduction of fat/oil really brought this bottle to the next level and I imagine this would be a stellar pair with a charcuterie board. Or a lunchable. Whatever floats your boat.
And yes, I did swig it from the bottle like the classy person I am because now it’s a thing. Still delicious, and I still enjoyed them, but these wines both lost a lot in translation without a proper pour. It do be like that sometimes.
Anyhow - I enjoyed these very much, so if you have a chance to pick some up, I recommend!
@jtallant we will have to try Reeces with the wine. What girl scout cookie would you pair with these wines?
@jtallant … “but I ended up casually finishing the Viognier by itself without even thinking about it” Been there.
@denierhandal My gut would be to go with thin mints simply because those are really the ONLY girl scout cookie, but I think the mint would really overpower the intricate delicacy of these wines.
Samoas would probably be great, especially with the tropical-ness of the coconut, but my money is on something really simple like shortbread.
It’s been fun to be able to offer these two white wines with our strong line up of reds. The Viognier comes from a vineyard in Knight’s Valley and my father is so proud of the partnership he has with the vineyard owner. The fruit is so good we had Lucas add the Viognier to the Chenin Blend as well as on its own.
/giphy caring-eerie-rod
@CorTot spare a couple to share, if you got a case?
@rjquillin sure.
@cduan thoughts?
Any interest in a Marin/SF split?
/giphy vulgar-untalented-pan
Anyone want to pickup 6 in Newton MA (IE, split a case, and I order.)
@bdb yes!
@rmf917 Ordered!
It is like we are now case mates! Maybe that would be a good name for a business.
/giphy aboard-nondescript-seal
/giphy unsightly-conniving-camel
I’m a sucker for labels lol
/giphy naked-smiling-blueberry
/giphy wild-musty-radish
@jct9889 lol. It’s me accepting my delivery.
I only got 4, need more. Thank you in advance.
@WineDavid49
@InFrom agreed, these have been tasty. Excellent purchase