Margins Skin-Contact Chenin Blanc 2021

"pulpy white fruit notes abound…”

Jackson’s Notes: I first tasted Megan Bell’s wines early last year, and her elegant, aromatic Pinot Noir was a full-on revelation. There’s plenty of people who are making interesting wines in California, but being that good only two vintages in? I was pretty impressed.

One of Megan’s goals is to have an impact on agriculture by encouraging her growers to convert to organics, and this Chenin Blanc is proof. She actually requested that the owner of the vineyard consider converting his vineyard to organic viticulture, and he was intrigued enough to go for it! Converting to organics isn’t just a switch to flip. Vines are finicky plants, and ones that have been raised with the help of pesticide and insecticide are prone to big mood swings once those crutches are taken away. But an organic vine is stronger once it learns to stand on its own. And the microbiome in the soil and the flora and fauna above it are grateful to be chemical-free.

This wine is Megan’s exploration with skin-contact whites, which started back in 2011 when she began to notice European white wines with a cloudy, turbid appearance. Since then the style has been made all over the place, but a seed was planted back then to encourage winemaking experimentation.

This 2020 Skin-Contact Chenin Blanc has a lovely nose of fresh green pear, chamomile and dried honeycomb. It hits the palate bracing and dry, with pulpy white fruit notes abounding. It’s a similar sensation to eating a fresh quince–there’s a slight chalkiness of texture and light tannin. Nothing overpowers here, however. It’s fresh fruit and stony notes and flowers all at once, and that’s why we love it.