2023 Littorai Chenin Blanc The Haven

Along a 1200-foot elevation ridgeline on the Sonoma Coast, west of the town of Occidental, the Haven Vineyard sits near the mouth of the Russian River, where winter temperatures are colder. A bright platinum/straw color, the 2023 Chenin Blanc The Haven Vineyard is vibrant and energetic with notes of fresh green apples, white flowers, crushed stones, lemon, and saline. Medium-bodied, it’s focused and linear, with a bright spine of acidity, and it’s pure with electric energy. It should have no problem aging well over the coming 10-12 years. The 2023 vintage marks the 30-year milestone for the Littorai family estate, and this tasting covers 21 wines from 1993 through 2023. Except for the 1993 Pinot Noir One Acre, all of the wines for this retrospective were tasted at the end of May in New York at Union Square Cafe. Readers can find the complete range of current releases in my regional report on Sonoma.

The 2023 Chenin Blanc The Haven Vineyard has pure, expressive aromas of yellow apples and peaches, honey, elderflower and the savory, minerally undertones characteristic of the variety. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and mouth coating, its compelling textural breadth matched by generous, expansive flavors. It’s balanced effortlessly by linear acidity and has a hauntingly long finish. It will develop savory complexity in the cellar over the next decade. 167 cases were made.

The vineyard, planted to Chenin in 2010, sits at 1,200 ft of elevation on 12 in of dark clay loam over highly consolidated clay. The site is farmed with organic and biodynamic methods but is not certified. Grapes are whole-cluster pressed, with some smaller portion destemmed, then fermented with ambient yeasts in steel, where it ages for 18 months on its fermentation lees before bottling unfined. No malolactic conversion means this wine is filtered before bottling. 167 cases produced. Light gold. Smells of grapefruit pith, white flowers and pear skin. Bright and juicy flavours of lemon and grapefruit have a zippy snap thanks to fantastic acidity. Mouth-watering citrus and a hint of pear linger for a long time through the finish. Outstanding. (AY)