Extended Barrel Aging in Fine Casks makes for a Luxurious Wine
St. Helena, CA, June 22, 2022 – Leaders in the Golden State’s revival of Chenin Blanc, Lang & Reed Napa Valley has released their single-vineyard 2020 Talmage Chenin Blanc, Mendocino. Sourced from a 40-year old vineyard site on a north-facing slope in Mendocino on top of the Talmage Bench, this region has been producing distinct wines for over a generation. This is the eighth year Lang & Reed has been working with this evenly ripened, flavorful fruit and for this vintage they experimented with extended barrel aging in fine, distinctive casks.
Lang & Reed’s father-son winemaking duo, John and Reed Skupny, felt the grapes from the 2020 harvest possessed the potential to become a more luxurious wine. The grapes were whole cluster pressed and allowed to settle before being transferred into two hand-selected barrels: one new François Frères French oak barrel and one seasoned Stockinger Austrian oak barrel. One was inoculated with selected yeast strains while the other was allowed to ferment by its indigenous yeast. The wine remained on the lees, and the lees were stirred bi-weekly. Aged for 14 months in the barrel, this regime showcases the nuances in the relationship between wine and the effects of its barrel.
The 2020 Talmage Chenin Blanc is a heady wine with a complex set of mingling aromas that include white floral, honeysuckle and delicate vanilla. The scents are mirrored and accentuated by the flavors, displaying an exotic array of elements like ripe pear, stone fruit and the minerality of wet stone. Secondary elements of ginger and lime zest also make an appearance. This vast array of aromas and flavors are brought together in the lengthy finish, which provides context and structure from both the intensity of the fruit and the lengthy barrel regime.
About Lang & Reed Napa Valley
Located at 1244 Spring St in St Helena, CA, Lang & Reed is one of the few wineries in Napa Valley to specialize in 100% Cabernet Franc and explore the distinct charms of Chenin Blanc. They have long been inspired by and passionate about giving these varieties an opportunity to shine – true to type, pure in flavor. The wine-producing Skupny family has been creating expressive wines that are enjoyable to drink since 1996. Winemaking is a form of storytelling for the Skupny family, and Lang & Reed wines tell a tale of a multi-generational family business and their wonderful wine-filled life together.
Spring House, an historic Victorian that is now home to Lang & Reed’s tasting salon, is right off the hub of St Helena’s Main Street, where Tracey, John, Reed and Megan Skupny offer intimate, appointment-only tastings that allow visitors to get to know the family behind the brand, while they impart their affection for Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. To learn more about Lang & Reed Napa Valley, 2020 Talmage Mendocino Chenin Blanc and other upcoming wine releases, visit their website (https://langandreed.com/) and follow them on Instagram (@langandreed) and Facebook (@langandreed)).
