2016 QTR Chenin Blanc Napa Valley 750 ml

He’s Made Schrader, Outpost, Maybach and Now This White

Today, we have a truly rare, and near-impossible wine to find by Thomas Rivers Brown — Food & Wine’s 2010 “Winemaker of the Year” and author of 100-point wines from Schrader, Maybach and Outpost. His inaugural 2016 QTR Chenin Blanc was drawn off vines rooted high up on Howell Mountain, which originated from Chappellet’s Pritchard Hill vineyard. Of the 100 cases made, all are earmarked for the winery’s mailing list — except for the few we are offering exclusively to Wine Access clients.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the indisputable King of Napa Valley — but tucked away in hidden pockets of the valley are treasured blocks devoted to other world-class grapes. One particularly sought-after variety is Chenin Blanc. This noble grape of Vouvray is famous in France’s Central Loire Valley, known for producing wines prized for delicate apple and floral notes, with luxurious texture and crisp acidity. But finding it planted on the right site in Napa can be a challenge.

The source for QTR comes from a vineyard high atop Howell Mountain, where a truly rare block of Chenin vines are surrounded by hallowed mountain Cabernet. But these aren’t just any old Chenin plantings. QTR Vineyard Manager Jim Barbour personally selected budwood from Chappellet’s historic Pritchard Hill vineyard for the site. It was a brilliant move, since Chappellet has produced one of the top Chenin Blancs in Napa for decades.

While Rivers Brown is best known for his perfect-scoring Cabernet Sauvignons, he shows a mastery of skill in this delicate, refreshing white. The 2016 QTR Chenin Blanc exudes the delicate apple and mineral notes, along with the kind of crisp acidity reminiscent of Vouvray from the Loire — but with a broader and riper California mouthfeel and sleek mountain-fruit concentration. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, this Chenin positively shines.