Leo Steen Bubbles of Steen 2022

Leo Steen Bubbles of Steen 2022

Leo Steen
$25.00

Grape: Chenin Blanc
Vintage: 2022
Type: White

This sparkling white wine represents an ancestral method pet-nat crafted by Leo Steen from sustainably grown Chenin Blanc grapes in California. Sourced from cool-climate vineyard sites, the fruit is harvested early in the season to capture high natural acidity and structural balance. The juice ferments spontaneously with native wild yeasts in neutral stainless steel tanks before being bottled while still active to complete its fermentation. This traditional low-intervention approach delivers natural carbonation and texture without any added sugar or chemical corrections.

It pours a lightly cloudy, pale straw hue with a soft and energetic mousse. The nose opens with delicate aromatics of fresh green apple, lime zest, and wet limestone. A lightweight and crisp mouthfeel pairs citrus fruit flavors with a chiseled mineral undercurrent. The lees contact provides a subtle structural cushion that nicely balances the bone-dry entry. It finishes long, dry, and mouthwateringly clean, leaving a lingering saline impression.

Leo Steen is a Danish-born winemaker who helped give Chenin Blanc an unexpected California stage. After restaurant work and winemaking experience in Europe and California, Steen became associated with the variety through old-vine and cool-climate sites in Mendocino, Dry Creek and beyond. His wines are not Loire copies, but they borrow the Loire's respect for acidity, texture and savory detail. He works in small lots, often with native fermentations and neutral vessels, producing Chenin, Cabernet Franc and other bottlings that feel precise, mineral and food-minded, with a Scandinavian sense of restraint meeting California fruit.