Aperture Cellars is the opening that lets light into a camera. Through this lens, Jesse Katz and his photographer father Andy Katz search California to find “specific soils in which to create memorable [wine] journeys.” They make wines that focus on wine, life and soil.  

Chenin Blanc wines are well-known in the Loire Valley and South Africa. The Aperture Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc has many of the characteristics you would expect to find there in other regions. But the grapes are grown in Clarksburg, California’s Sacramento Delta, on old vines planted there in the 1940s. 

This wine has an immediate aroma of peaches and pears. Let it warm just a moment in the glass, and its minerality becomes more apparent. On the palate there’s a lovely balance of slight chalkiness, pears and stewed apricots, with a puckery tinge of tangerine acidity in the finish.

While this description may seem like a picture of a fruit basket drawn in chalk on a blackboard, the wine is far from two-dimensional. Twenty percent of the wine is aged in oak – neutral French oak – which adds texture. Though overall the wine is fruity and light on the palate. 

A great choice for a warm summer day or served with your holiday dinner. Screwcapped and fairly low alcohol too. Keep it chilled.

WHO:  Aperture Cellars

WHAT: 100% chenin blanc

WHERE: Clarksburg, California

HOW MUCH: $35

ABV: 12.7%

RATING: 90