Beautiful color, bright aroma of spring flowers and apricots. On the palate, fruity floral flavors with mildly nutty finish. Great paired with fresh cheeses, prosciutto and sweet pea risotto.
Specs
Harvest notes: This North Coast treasure is a combination of fruit from two small privately owned vineyards within the North Coast AVA.
Varietals: 65% Viognier, 35% Verdelho
Harvest: September 2022
In the Cellar: Aged in stainless steel and neutral American and French Oak Barrels
Length of time in fermentor: 10 days
Bottled: June 2025
Alcohol: 13.3%
pH: 3.3
Residual Sugar: Less than 0.1%
Winemakers: Lucas Meeker & Dick Handal
2022 Denier Handal Verdelho, Suisun Valley
Straw color, aromas of green apple, clover and sea salt. Minerally flavor pairs great with seafood, potato dishes, and mild cheeses.
Specs
Harvest notes: This North Coast treasure is made with grapes from a vineyard in Suisun Valley.
Varietal: 100% Verdelho
Harvest: September 2022
In the Cellar: Aged in stainless steel and neutral American and French Oak Barrels
Length of time in fermentor: 10 days
Bottled: June 2025
Alcohol: 12.7%
pH: 3.3
Residual Sugar: Less than 0.1%
Winemakers: Lucas Meeker, Dick Handal
2022 Denier Handal Viognier, Knight’s Valley, Sonoma County
Full bodied floral aroma. Classic flavor includes hints of tropical fruit, herbal notes and a clean finish. Perfect with rich fatty foods.
Specs
Harvest notes: Viognier from a small beautiful vineyard in Knight’s Valley.
Varietals: 90% Viognier, 10% Verdelho
Winemaker: Lucas Meeker
Harvest: September 2022
In the Cellar: Aged in stainless steel and neutral American and French Oak Barrels
Length of time in fermentor: 10 days
Bottled: June 2025
Alcohol: 14.2%
pH: 3.3
Residual Sugar: Less than 0.1%
Denier Handal
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 Meeker Winery custom crush facility in Healdsburg.
Though no longer farmers, we source grapes from our farming colleagues in the counties throughout California 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. We make single varietal wine as well as award winning blends.
What’s Included
6-bottles:
2x - 2022 Denier Handal White Blend, North Coast
2x - 2022 Denier Handal Verdelho, Suisun Valley
2x - 2022 Denier Handal Viognier, Knight’s Valley, Sonoma County
Case:
4x - 2022 Denier Handal White Blend, North Coast
4x - 2022 Denier Handal Verdelho, Suisun Valley
4x - 2022 Denier Handal Viognier, Knight’s Valley, Sonoma County
Price Comparison
Not available on winery website, $288/case MSRP
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Denier Handal Mixed Whites - $40 = 21.05%
Really might get this. Reds built up, but little in the way of white varietals.
Going to wait a bit to see if we have rats, and winemaker participation.
@pmarin We should … both Lucas Meeker and Richard (I want to put Dick, but respect says I should use his full name) Handel have been very active before.
I was selected as a Lab Rat for this offer and had the pleasure of enjoying this trio over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. All three wines are fabulous, with the standout for me being the Verdelho.
We shared all three bottles with friends, and each wine was praised for its freshness, lightness, and beautiful aromatic profile. As for the Verdelho, I think I nearly polished off that bottle myself! I was especially drawn to its gorgeous aromatics of fresh flowers and orange blossoms, followed by bright, juicy citrus on the palate and mellow, well-balanced acidity through the finish. It was expressive and refreshing, but still had enough character and complexity to keep me coming back for another glass.
I love when Casemates introduces me to a new producer or a varietal I might not otherwise seek out, and this was exactly that kind of discovery. I’d enthusiastically recommend giving this trio a try. The Verdelho alone is worth the adventure!
@tastebud The Viognier was very good and, to me, showed a really classic expression of the variety: aromatic and floral, with ripe peach, apricot, and stone fruit notes and that fuller, softer texture I associate with Viognier. It was well made and very true to type. The white blend was like the Viognier but a lot more tropical. Honestly, the white blend tasted like a more subdued version of the Verdelho. It was a great wine, and to me the Verdelho really showed. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, it was 35% Verdelho/65% Viognier.
@rjquillin I’m sorry, I guess I flubbed this one! I genuinely enjoyed all three. They shared a similar profile…the trio was made up of the same two varietals blended at different percentages, naturally they all tasted similar and all three were light, floral, and fresh. I chose to focus on the one wine that really stood out to me personally. Apparently not what the crowd was looking for!
@ElkhornPeak@rjquillin thanks for the notes, you sold me! I’m excited to try all three. All sorts of reports are given here, and simply liking / not liking is all we get sometimes, so your extra notes are appreciated. You’d be surprised how many rats begin by saying they don’t really like white wine / the varietal they are trying. The fact that you didn’t say anything negative about the viognier sold me, sometimes they are just too rich/ textural for me.
There’s really nothing negative to say about any of these wines, they were all very enjoyable. I truly mean it when I say this is a lovely trio. And to your point, the Viognier was not overly rich at all. It had nice acidity, an easy texture and felt very well balanced. As an aside, I’ve been on the receiving end of one of those “I don’t like the varietal in general, so I don’t like this wine” reviews myself! It’s incredibly frustrating for both the community and the winery, because it doesn’t really give the wine itself a fair assessment.
All three wines were very good and shared a similar profile, which isn’t surprising given that they’re all different blends of Viognier and Verdelho. I enjoyed all three, they are good wines - this is a great trio. I chose to focus on my personal favorite of the three, which I thought was fair in the context of a wine review on the package.
For context: I see Viognier everywhere. It’s super trendy right now, and this was a good expression of the varietal: floral, soft, with lots of apricot and peach on the palate, with subdued tropical fruit. I rarely come across 100% Verdelho, or much Verdelho at all. It’s more mysterious and I was most excited to try something more rare. Verdelho often leans toward heavy tropical fruit, and this wine had a ton of it, which really stood out to me. All three wines were great. Would drink all again. Everyone loved them. The labels are beautiful. The deal is screamin’ – I recommend this trio!
Again, not a fan of winemakers as rats and this rattage backs it up. General wine speak does not help with my decision making. Send one bottle to three different common people, don’t be cheap. Even one extra sale will make up the cost to do so.
@matthewstep you must’ve not purchased a wine ratted by El Jefe last year. I enjoyed his wines and purchased a case of Darling based on his rattage only to receive a case that didn’t match his reviews. Besides, what about the majority on here that do not know the ratting winery? To each their own
@losthighwayz@matthewstep personally, I put less stock in a review from a winemaker. They have enough incentive to support each other, fair enough, but then that makes it too biased for me.
Denier Handal Mixed Whites
2022 Denier Handal White Blend, North Coast
Specs
2022 Denier Handal Verdelho, Suisun Valley
Specs
2022 Denier Handal Viognier, Knight’s Valley, Sonoma County
Specs
Denier Handal
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not available on winery website, $288/case MSRP
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 27 - Tuesday, Jul 28
Denier Handal Mixed Whites
6 bottles for $94.99 $15.83/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $149.99 $12.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2022 Denier Handal White Blend
2022 Denier Handal Verdelho
2022 Denier Handal Viognier
I may get these because the labels are so pretty. Lol
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Denier Handal Mixed Whites - $40 = 21.05%
Any active Casemateers in the DFW area?
Really might get this. Reds built up, but little in the way of white varietals.
Going to wait a bit to see if we have rats, and winemaker participation.
@pmarin We should … both Lucas Meeker and Richard (I want to put Dick, but respect says I should use his full name) Handel have been very active before.
I don’t remember a bad wine from either!
I was selected as a Lab Rat for this offer and had the pleasure of enjoying this trio over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. All three wines are fabulous, with the standout for me being the Verdelho.
We shared all three bottles with friends, and each wine was praised for its freshness, lightness, and beautiful aromatic profile. As for the Verdelho, I think I nearly polished off that bottle myself! I was especially drawn to its gorgeous aromatics of fresh flowers and orange blossoms, followed by bright, juicy citrus on the palate and mellow, well-balanced acidity through the finish. It was expressive and refreshing, but still had enough character and complexity to keep me coming back for another glass.
I love when Casemates introduces me to a new producer or a varietal I might not otherwise seek out, and this was exactly that kind of discovery. I’d enthusiastically recommend giving this trio a try. The Verdelho alone is worth the adventure!
@ElkhornPeak
some comments below wondering how the other two were…
@ElkhornPeak can you give us please a bit more feedback on the blend and the viognier?
@tastebud The Viognier was very good and, to me, showed a really classic expression of the variety: aromatic and floral, with ripe peach, apricot, and stone fruit notes and that fuller, softer texture I associate with Viognier. It was well made and very true to type. The white blend was like the Viognier but a lot more tropical. Honestly, the white blend tasted like a more subdued version of the Verdelho. It was a great wine, and to me the Verdelho really showed. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, it was 35% Verdelho/65% Viognier.
@rjquillin I’m sorry, I guess I flubbed this one! I genuinely enjoyed all three. They shared a similar profile…the trio was made up of the same two varietals blended at different percentages, naturally they all tasted similar and all three were light, floral, and fresh. I chose to focus on the one wine that really stood out to me personally. Apparently not what the crowd was looking for!
@ElkhornPeak @rjquillin thanks for the notes, you sold me! I’m excited to try all three. All sorts of reports are given here, and simply liking / not liking is all we get sometimes, so your extra notes are appreciated. You’d be surprised how many rats begin by saying they don’t really like white wine / the varietal they are trying. The fact that you didn’t say anything negative about the viognier sold me, sometimes they are just too rich/ textural for me.
@CruelMelody @rjquillin
There’s really nothing negative to say about any of these wines, they were all very enjoyable. I truly mean it when I say this is a lovely trio. And to your point, the Viognier was not overly rich at all. It had nice acidity, an easy texture and felt very well balanced. As an aside, I’ve been on the receiving end of one of those “I don’t like the varietal in general, so I don’t like this wine” reviews myself! It’s incredibly frustrating for both the community and the winery, because it doesn’t really give the wine itself a fair assessment.
@CruelMelody @ElkhornPeak
Thanks for dropping back by with those additional thoughts that added more helpful context.
umm… What about the other 2 bottles?
@kellybutler
Yeah, a bit more discussion would have been helpful.
@kellybutler @rjquillin Not to mention,
It sounds like Elise kind of fell in love with the Verdelho and only had eyes for it.
@kellybutler @rjquillin
All three wines were very good and shared a similar profile, which isn’t surprising given that they’re all different blends of Viognier and Verdelho. I enjoyed all three, they are good wines - this is a great trio. I chose to focus on my personal favorite of the three, which I thought was fair in the context of a wine review on the package.
For context: I see Viognier everywhere. It’s super trendy right now, and this was a good expression of the varietal: floral, soft, with lots of apricot and peach on the palate, with subdued tropical fruit. I rarely come across 100% Verdelho, or much Verdelho at all. It’s more mysterious and I was most excited to try something more rare. Verdelho often leans toward heavy tropical fruit, and this wine had a ton of it, which really stood out to me. All three wines were great. Would drink all again. Everyone loved them. The labels are beautiful. The deal is screamin’ – I recommend this trio!
Anyone in the RDU-Greensboro area wanting to split?
/giphy cumbersome-aquamarine-neck
Again, not a fan of winemakers as rats and this rattage backs it up. General wine speak does not help with my decision making. Send one bottle to three different common people, don’t be cheap. Even one extra sale will make up the cost to do so.
@losthighwayz see I disagree. I have no space for wine. I am only getting it because elkhorn peak recommended it.
I know elkhorn wines, I like their wines, and as such I trust the take more. In for a case.
@matthewstep you must’ve not purchased a wine ratted by El Jefe last year. I enjoyed his wines and purchased a case of Darling based on his rattage only to receive a case that didn’t match his reviews. Besides, what about the majority on here that do not know the ratting winery? To each their own
@losthighwayz @matthewstep personally, I put less stock in a review from a winemaker. They have enough incentive to support each other, fair enough, but then that makes it too biased for me.