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Is Chenin Blanc the hottest white wine grape in the world right now?  That’s subject to some debate, but it cannot be denied that Chenin, no matter where it comes from, is definitely having its moment.  In fact, so much of the moment is Chenin right now that the second annual ‘Hella Chenin’ festival is happening next weekend right here in the Bay Area and it sold out in less than a week!  Its proponents love the grape’s innate complexity and distinctive flavors.  Thanks to its broad texture, it’s a great change of pace for Chardonnay lovers and its vibrant natural acidity helps make it appealing to the ‘acid’ crowd too.  It can handle all kinds of winemaking approaches and is equally at home being vinified sparkling, unoaked, oaked or sweet.  Unfortunately for poor Chenin, while it’s the number one cultivar in South Africa and widely planted throughout the Loire Valley of France, finding it closer to home can be more of a challenge as the vast majority of California’s old Chenin vines fell victim to the Chardonnay boom, urban sprawl or just the lack of a market that appreciated it.  But those who love the grape, like veteran winemaker Pax Mahle, will find a way!  Pax is particularly passionate about Chenin and, when you taste his Helios dry Chenin, you’ll discover why.  He’s found old vines to work with in organically-farmed vineyards in Amador County, the Santa Cruz Mountains and Laytonville and turned them into one of the best Chenins we’ve ever tasted from California!  Honest!  100% whole cluster pressed and fermented on its own yeast, Pax aged the wine for seven month in a combination of 500 liter barrels from Austria and France as well as a portion kept solely in steel to preserve its freshness.  We loved this wine.  Its richness and waxiness on the palate totally belies the freshness of its lifted honeysuckle, lime peel, Asian pear and sea spray aromatics and its soaked-through-stone minerality.  Lovers of the Chenins of the Loire Valley, prepare yourselves for a shock!  This will provide all that Chenin character you crave at a price that should make the Huets blush. This is a must-try!

Vinous: Tasted from tank, the 2025 Chenin Blanc Helios is insanely beautiful. Citrus peel, sweet flowers, mint, tangerine, oil and slate all soar from the glass. Readers will find a complex, dynamic Chenin loaded with personality and character. Most of the Helios will likely end up in restaurants. Readers who can find it should not hesitate.