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- CountryUnited States
- RegionOregon
- Alcohol12%
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Iruai Moonstones Chenin Blanc Oregon 2023
- Vintage2023
- VarietyChenin Blanc
- AppellationOregon
In 2013, Chad and Michelle Westbrook Hinds founded Methode Sauvage in Berkeley to craft California Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc using natural wine production techniques. They called their label a "nomadic natural wine project," working with vineyards from across the state and having no brick-and-mortar winery or vineyard. Between 2013 and 2018, they gained notoriety in wine circles as cutting-edge producers in natural winemaking. 2019 turned the page on their next chapter when the couple settled in northern California's Siskiyou County and began planting a vineyard outside of the town of Etna. And so, Methode Sauvage (The Wild Method) transformed into Iruai Winery, where the couple develops esoteric varietals and permaculture methods in their vineyard while continuing to explore vineyards in the Shasta-Cascade region of northern California and Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon.
Chad and Michelle selected the name Iruai to emphasize their commitment to "channeling terroir through their wines." Iruai is the Shasta indigenous word for Scott Valley, where they've laid down roots, called home, and made their wines. Their techniques are hands-off in their vineyard and cellar, focusing on stewardship rather than pushing towards a specific style or profile. They add nothing to their wines and remove nothing from them so the land's and varietal's characters can shine. When searching for vineyard partners outside their property, the team looks for like-minded growers who simulate natural settings to the furthest extent possible, creating ecosystems requiring minimal human intervention.
Four Diamonds Vineyard lies in the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon, and the 2023 Moonstones Chenin Blanc is Iruai's first vintage working with this vineyard. After years of crafting Chenin from various California sites, they discovered Four Diamonds and found it superior to all the others for Loire Valley varietals. The Applegate Valley boasts high-altitude sites of up to 2,000 feet in elevation with warm days and cold evenings, creating large diurnal shifts that wine grapes love. Thanks to the Applegate River that runs through the valley, soils are well-draining with alluvial deposits, creating excellent conditions for vines to grow grapes that are more nuanced and concentrated in flavor.
The 2023 Moonstones Chenin Blanc is everything we love about Chenin Blanc with a balance of ripe white fruit, zesty acidity, and minerality verve. Jasmine and chamomile tea notes on the nose playfully meld with stronger peach and baked apple tones. Stone fruit flavors fill the lush palate, held up by a backbone of flinty minerality that lasts through the finish.
Chad and Michelle selected the name Iruai to emphasize their commitment to "channeling terroir through their wines." Iruai is the Shasta indigenous word for Scott Valley, where they've laid down roots, called home, and made their wines. Their techniques are hands-off in their vineyard and cellar, focusing on stewardship rather than pushing towards a specific style or profile. They add nothing to their wines and remove nothing from them so the land's and varietal's characters can shine. When searching for vineyard partners outside their property, the team looks for like-minded growers who simulate natural settings to the furthest extent possible, creating ecosystems requiring minimal human intervention.
Four Diamonds Vineyard lies in the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon, and the 2023 Moonstones Chenin Blanc is Iruai's first vintage working with this vineyard. After years of crafting Chenin from various California sites, they discovered Four Diamonds and found it superior to all the others for Loire Valley varietals. The Applegate Valley boasts high-altitude sites of up to 2,000 feet in elevation with warm days and cold evenings, creating large diurnal shifts that wine grapes love. Thanks to the Applegate River that runs through the valley, soils are well-draining with alluvial deposits, creating excellent conditions for vines to grow grapes that are more nuanced and concentrated in flavor.
The 2023 Moonstones Chenin Blanc is everything we love about Chenin Blanc with a balance of ripe white fruit, zesty acidity, and minerality verve. Jasmine and chamomile tea notes on the nose playfully meld with stronger peach and baked apple tones. Stone fruit flavors fill the lush palate, held up by a backbone of flinty minerality that lasts through the finish.
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- CountryUnited States
- RegionOregon
- Alcohol12%
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