Exotic layers of tart pear, granny-smith apples, chamomile, and acacia transition into a seductive mouthful of flint, Meyer lemon, and lanolin. Fantastic acidity backs up a crunchy mid-palate full of personality and precision, with a finish that goes on for days.
Style: Crisp, dry, refreshing, round, and bright
Recommended Food Pairing
Sweet & sour pork, Peking duck, pad thai, and our personal favorite — French fries.
Specs
100% Chenin Blanc
Appellation: El Dorado
Soils: Decomposed granite
Fermented & aged in neutral barrels
Alcohol: 12%
Vineyards: Saureel Vineyards
Harvest Date: 8/26/2020
Bottling Date: April 2021
Fermentation Vessel: Neutral Barrel
Soils: Decomposed Granite
Cases: 400
TA G/L: 6
pH: 3.32
RS G/L: 0.3
2020 Fifth Moon Grüner Veltliner, Marfarm Vineyard, Edna Valley
Tasting Notes
Our Fifth Moon Grüner Veltliner is a California twist on an old-world classic. All of the spice and freshness you would expect from a traditional Grüner, but with a juicer, riper profile that lets you know you are in California.
Grapefruit, white nectarine, lime blossoms, and subtle notes of white pepper lead into a lean yet structured mid-palate. Notes of wasabi and flint finish clean with a vein of cleansing acidity.
Vineyard Notes
Edna Valley is located south of San Luis Obispo and north of Arroyo Grande. The valley runs east to west and is surrounded by volcanic mountains. Moderate sunshine combined with a cool maritime fog provides an extended growing period in this AVA, resulting in complex flavors in the fruit.
Production Notes
We decided to let the vineyard speak for itself. Pressed whole cluster and fermented cold in stainless steel to help preserve the aromatics, the fermentation took two weeks and went to complete dryness. We blocked malolactic and left it on lees until bottling in the spring to preserve the vibrancy of the wine.
Food Pairing
Weighty enough to push back against strong flavors like curries, vindaloo, and Pho, yet delicate enough for sushi or even as an aperitif. A versatile wine, Fifth Moon Grüner pairs with a variety of cuisines, including Thai, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, and more.
Specs
100% Grüner Veltliner
Appellation: Edna Valley
Soils: Sandy, loam
Alcohol: 12%
Vineyards: Marfarm Vineyard
Harvest Date: 9/12/2020
Fermentation Vessel: Stainless Steel & 1 New Stockinger
Cases: 320
Bottle Date: February 2021
TA G/L: 7.3
pH: 3.1
RS G/L: 0.1
What’s Included
6-bottles:
3x 2020 Fifth Moon Grüner Veltliner, Marfarm Vineyard, Edna Valley
3x 2020 Fifth Moon Chenin Blanc, El Dorado Case:
6x 2020 Fifth Moon Grüner Veltliner, Marfarm Vineyard, Edna Valley
Our winery’s ethos is driven by our founder, Dong Van Nguyen’s inspiring legacy and the traditions of altruism and community in Vietnamese culture. At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to being real and creating a space where all feel welcome.
RD Winery was established in 2012 by Dong Van Nguyen, making wine solely for export to Vietnam until U.S. distribution began in 2020 with the opening of RD Winery’s tasting room in Napa, CA. RD Winery is the first Vietnamese-owned winery in Napa and woman-run by CEO Mailynh Phan with the mission to cultivate community through wine and make the wine industry more inclusive. It does this through its varied tasting experiences and Napa’s first all-Asian-cuisine pairing menu, diverse portfolio of wines available at all price points, and ongoing cultural programming and onsite art gallery.
Fifth Moon Wines Mixed Whites from RD Winery
6 bottles for $79.99 $13.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $124.99 $10.42/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Happy Election Day everybody! It’s a crazy mixed-up world but no matter what moves you, I hope you voted; I did here in Michigan, absentee a couple of weeks ago. We had a lovely cool bright and sunny Midwestern autumn day. I mowed my lawn today over the fallen leaves from multiple Maple trees, an Oak, and the always-challenging Catalpa with its monster leaves. I ate some grilled Spanish sardines with tapas potatoes that my wife lovingly brought home for me from La Feria in Detroit, shaved some Manchego, spooned some olives, grabbed some crackers, and drank some wine. On to today’s business!
Fifth Moon Chenin Blanc 2020
• from RD Winery 100% Chenin Blanc, El Dorado AVA, ABV 11.7-12.0%
• fermented & aged in neutral barrels
Color: Typical straw, clear.
Nose: Apple and pear, subtle floral nectar. Grass. Faintest hint of pineapple. Honestly, these were all elusive.
Palate: Quite dry and crisp. Bright, almost too bright acidity. Light fruit flavors match the aromas; tart Asian pear with a drop of pineapple juice. Finishes with a slight pucker. Tasted blind, I could be convinced that this was a light Sauvignon Blanc and not Chenin Blanc.
And there’s the rub. This wine is just not very interesting. Is the low alcohol intentional? I’m not going to pretend I know what goes into wine growing, but maybe a little more ripeness in the grapes would have gone a long way to bringing out the qualities of Chenin Blanc we like most? It reminded me of what Northern Michigan sparkling wine grower and winemaking guru LARRY MAWBY would say about his Pinot Noir: “I picked it at such low brix that it would have made a fine dental rinse.” Maybe age is a factor (5 year old white) but I don’t think so with this acidity.
Being a vintage 2020, I checked for smoke taint. None. It appears that the Sierra foothills were distant enough from the Napa and North Complex fires to not be impacted.
I begged my wife for her impressions. She usually resists. But not one to dance around her feelings, she did offer, “I could’ve picked this up at Trader Joe’s.” Derp.
The June 2024 Fifth Moon Mixed Whites offering included their Grüner Veltliner. If that repeats, and rats well, you can consider that in your buying decision. As for the Chenin Blanc, if a low-alcohol, dry as heck, amply acidic (but not unbalanced) white wine is your style for cutting through the richness of your daily diet of char siu pork belly, confit duck tacos, and slightly greasy truffle fries, go for it! I expect the price point to be similar to the 2024 offering, under $10 a bottle in case quantity.
@baldwino0 pH: 3.32 … I guess I have no choice but to believe it. All I know is that my mouth was dry for a long time after I finished this off. The Grüner is even lower in pH and RS! Can’t wait to read that rattage.
2020 Fifth Moon Chenin Blanc, El Dorado
Tasting Notes
Recommended Food Pairing
Specs
2020 Fifth Moon Grüner Veltliner, Marfarm Vineyard, Edna Valley
Tasting Notes
Vineyard Notes
Production Notes
Food Pairing
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$312.00/Case for 6x 2020 Fifth Moon Grüner Veltliner, Marfarm Vineyard, Edna Valley + 6x 2020 Fifth Moon Chenin Blanc, El Dorado at RD Winery
About The Winery
RD Winery featured as AAPI Month Spotlight on KTVU
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Nov 24 - Tuesday, Nov 25
Fifth Moon Wines Mixed Whites from RD Winery
6 bottles for $79.99 $13.33/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $124.99 $10.42/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2020 Fifth Moon Chenin Blanc
2020 Fifth Moon Grüner Veltliner
Happy Election Day everybody! It’s a crazy mixed-up world but no matter what moves you, I hope you voted; I did here in Michigan, absentee a couple of weeks ago. We had a lovely cool bright and sunny Midwestern autumn day. I mowed my lawn today over the fallen leaves from multiple Maple trees, an Oak, and the always-challenging Catalpa with its monster leaves. I ate some grilled Spanish sardines with tapas potatoes that my wife lovingly brought home for me from La Feria in Detroit, shaved some Manchego, spooned some olives, grabbed some crackers, and drank some wine. On to today’s business!
Fifth Moon Chenin Blanc 2020
• from RD Winery
100% Chenin Blanc, El Dorado AVA, ABV 11.7-12.0%
• fermented & aged in neutral barrels
Color: Typical straw, clear.
Nose: Apple and pear, subtle floral nectar. Grass. Faintest hint of pineapple. Honestly, these were all elusive.
Palate: Quite dry and crisp. Bright, almost too bright acidity. Light fruit flavors match the aromas; tart Asian pear with a drop of pineapple juice. Finishes with a slight pucker. Tasted blind, I could be convinced that this was a light Sauvignon Blanc and not Chenin Blanc.
And there’s the rub. This wine is just not very interesting. Is the low alcohol intentional? I’m not going to pretend I know what goes into wine growing, but maybe a little more ripeness in the grapes would have gone a long way to bringing out the qualities of Chenin Blanc we like most? It reminded me of what Northern Michigan sparkling wine grower and winemaking guru LARRY MAWBY would say about his Pinot Noir: “I picked it at such low brix that it would have made a fine dental rinse.” Maybe age is a factor (5 year old white) but I don’t think so with this acidity.
Being a vintage 2020, I checked for smoke taint. None. It appears that the Sierra foothills were distant enough from the Napa and North Complex fires to not be impacted.
I begged my wife for her impressions. She usually resists. But not one to dance around her feelings, she did offer, “I could’ve picked this up at Trader Joe’s.” Derp.
The June 2024 Fifth Moon Mixed Whites offering included their Grüner Veltliner. If that repeats, and rats well, you can consider that in your buying decision. As for the Chenin Blanc, if a low-alcohol, dry as heck, amply acidic (but not unbalanced) white wine is your style for cutting through the richness of your daily diet of char siu pork belly, confit duck tacos, and slightly greasy truffle fries, go for it! I expect the price point to be similar to the 2024 offering, under $10 a bottle in case quantity.
@baldwino0 Make that under $11, I see!
@baldwino0 pH: 3.32 … I guess I have no choice but to believe it. All I know is that my mouth was dry for a long time after I finished this off. The Grüner is even lower in pH and RS! Can’t wait to read that rattage.
@baldwino0 nice snack after the yard work