Wine Of The Week: Palisades Canyon Chenin Blanc

A rich, age-worthy white wine from the Northern reaches of Napa Valley.

Palisades Canyon is a veritable winemaking paradise. It’s a few hundred acres of vineyards, hugged into a mountainous pocket of Napa Valley’s Northern corridor. There are sheep, goats and even a llama that roam its rolling slopes, which feature organic vineyards that bloom with wild greens. The vines themselves are old and gnarled, planted 60 to 70 years ago and standing strong and sturdy like elder statesmen. The property dates back to the 1870s, when Scottish settler James Horn first planted vines. They bloomed and grew until the Barberis family, who emigrated from Italy, ushered the winery through prohibition.

More than a hundred years later, Palisades Canyon’s fourth-generation producer Graeme MacDonald and proprietors Felicia and Steve Woytak aren’t trying to reinvent the storied winery. They’re continuing the rich legacy of this unique and historic cove in Napa’s northern reaches. There’s Petite Sirah, once one of the valley’s most important grapes, along with Cabernet Sauvignon—we’re in Napa, after all. There’s also Chenin Blanc, a white grape famed for making some of the Loire’s most revered wines. It shines just as brightly in Napa—rich and nuanced, with a glittering acidity (for a slight Burgundian swagger) and notes of chamomile, lime leaf, and quince. The 2021 vintage sold out in two minutes—for good reason. $75

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.