Las Jaras Cezanne Chenin Blanc 2023

Las Jaras Cezanne Chenin Blanc 2023

Las Jaras
$30.00

Grape: Chenin Blanc
Vintage: 2023
Type: White

Grown on old vines planted in the gravelly loam soils of Mendocino County, this cuvée captures the natural tension and high-acid drive of northern California chenin blanc. The fruit is whole-cluster pressed and fermented naturally with indigenous yeasts in a combination of neutral French oak barrels and stainless steel to build subtle textural weight while maintaining raw freshness. The wine undergoes no malolactic fermentation, preserving the linear focus and electric backbone straight from the vineyard. This is a crisp, direct expression of old-vine chenin blanc crafted with minimal intervention.

It shows a pale straw color with green highlights, offering aromas of crisp green apple, white peach, lemon blossom, and crushed river stone. The palate opens with direct flavors of wet stone, tart pear, and grapefruit zest, balanced by a subtle, creamy leesy texture that softens the razor-sharp natural acidity. The mid-palate remains vibrant, light, and full of chalky mineral grip. It ends on a snappy, mouthwatering finish that leaves a persistent note of lime peel and sea salt.

Winery

Las Jaras Wines was founded in 2016 by winemaker Joel Burt and actor/food lover Eric Wareheim with a mission to craft balanced, food-friendly California wines with lower alcohol levels and high natural acidity. Operating out of Sonoma County, the pair sources fruit from dry-farmed, organically managed old-vine vineyards across Northern California, including Mendocino, Suisun Valley, and Lodi. Their viticultural focus highlights historic, heritage plantings—many dating back mid-century or earlier—featuring varieties such as carignan, zinfandel, charbono, chenin blanc, petite sirah, and cabernet pfeffer.

In the cellar, winemaking centers on low intervention to highlight site character and bright freshness over extraction. Fermentations occur spontaneously via native yeasts in stainless steel tanks, concrete, and neutral oak barrels, avoiding commercial additives, heavy oak toast, or aggressive skin contact. Bottled with minimal sulfur and without fining or heavy filtration, Las Jaras produces a range that spans focused single-vineyard expressions to creative co-ferments and chillable, high-acid reds like their flagship "Glou Glou." The resulting wines balance energetic fruit, lively acidity, and a light-on-its-feet texture designed for the dinner table.