It was an incredible trip. Our dear friends, Matt and Glynnis, gave us a whirlwind yet incredibly thought out tour of Napa Valley. Not at all to our surprise, we were hooked. I loved every drop we drank, every bite of food we tasted. And then we reached Chappellet. As I have mentioned, Zach and I are branching out from our naive red-wine loving ways and entering the white wine world. It was my third sip into the Chenin Blanc tasting when I knew. This was the best white wine I had ever encountered. If it were a flavor, elegance would be the primary adjective used to describe this wine. It feels like a little black dress with pearls – classic and beautiful, always just right. Hints of grapefruit echo the peach flavors and creamy texture that lasts on my tongue and the roof of my mouth. While in Napa we took a bottle to dinner with us at Morimoto. It was absolutely perfect with the spicy crab we shared. Drinking it this evening, it worked wonderfully with my Hot Brown Crostinis (recipe found here – Hot Brown Crostini). Several months later, we are members of the Chappellet wine club and have a handful of precious Chenin Blanc bottles waiting patiently of us. I can’t wait to return to Napa – not only do we have family there now in Matt and Glynnis, but I have a sneaking suspicion that another ‘Chappellet-esque’ experience is waiting for me, prepared to turn wine as I think I know it on it’s head. I’m ready.
