Aperture Chenin Blanc 2023
(North Coast, California) - [DM 95] [JS 94] [IWR 94] [WE 93] [JD 93] [WS 91, #71 Top 100] [WA 91]

About the Winery:
Founded in 2009 by first-generation winemaker Jesse Katz, Aperture was born from a desire to craft California wines with the elegance and structure of the best Bordeaux estates. Katz—who previously worked at legendary estates like Pétrus and Screaming Eagle—focuses on cool-climate, high-elevation vineyards that bring out vibrant acidity and silky, refined tannins.

Aperture Cellars is so-named because the company is a collaboration with his father, Andy Katz, a professional photographer (an “aperture” is the opening in a lens through which light passes into a camera; it’s Andy’s photography on all the labels.) At Aperture, the wines shed light on what Bordeaux varieties in the cooler pockets of Sonoma are capable of. Warm, sunny days and brisk nights ensure that every bottle bursts with freshness, no matter how generous the fruit. None other than Wine Spectator has described our wines as “plump, intense and juicy” while remaining “clean and complex.”

Notes from the Winemaker:
Our 2023 Chenin Blanc fruit is night-harvested from an old vine vineyard in the Clarksburg AVA on the Sacramento River. We lightly whole cluster press the fruit to a stainless steal tank where we let the juice chill at 50°F for two days to settle. On the third day, we clean-rack it to a smaller tank leaving the heavy sediment behind. We let the wine slowly start fermenting, keeping the temperature cool, below 56°F, to achieve freshness and preserve aromatics. The wine ferments in a mixture of vessels giving the wine a variety of textures from the stainless steel, cement, and neutral French oak. All lots are aged on the lees until blended together just prior to bottling.  The wine isplaced in our cold barrel room to keep the fermentation cool and slow,maintaining freshness and bright aromatics. As the wine slowly ferments for an additional 3 weeks in barrel, we top and stir each barrel weekly. The wine stays in those same barrels for 6 months on lees.

Tasting Notes:
This vibrant wine showcases notes of passion fruit, nectarines, and honeysuckle with brightly lifted acidity.

APPELLATION
Clarksburg

VARIETAL
Chenin Blanc

BARREL PROGRAM
Aged 6 Months
75% stainless-steel barrels
20% neutral French oak
5% cement tank

Ratings & Reviews

95 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"The 2023 Aperture Chenin Blanc hails from the Clarksburg AVA near California's Sierra Foothills. Winemaker Jesse Katz says that the 40-year-old, dry-farmed vines there benefit from cooling breezes that come in from the San Joaquin River Valley. Fermentation was done in various vessels (cement, neutral French oak, and stainless steel) to preserve the freshness and transparency of fruit from what Katz noted was an early-ripening vintage. An Incredibly bright nose of pear, white peach, white pepper, and chalky minerals with springtime flowers marks the nose. Acid-driven freshness is immediately prevalent on the palate, like a fresh squeeze of lemon intermixed with lemon zest, lime blossoms, apricots, marionberry, and white raspberry. The flavours are all fueled by a saline-mineral finish that keeps everything super bright and lifted. Easily one of the brightest, most focused expressions of this wine ever, and at 12.2% alcohol, it is eminently food-friendly and an easy quaffer." - Jonathan Cristaldi (Apr 2024)

94 Points - James Suckling:
"A light-bodied, very fresh and dry wine with aromas of minerals and wet stones. Great acidity balances a creamy lemon curd character that’s bright and clean. Only 12.2% alcohol. Drink now or hold." (Mar 2025)

94 Points - International Wine Review:

Aperture Chenin Blanc Clarksburg 2023 delivers a radiant pale straw hue with silver highlights, showcasing its vibrant character. This wine, aged in 75% stainless steel, 20% neutral French oak, and 5% cement tank aging, greets the nose with aromas of honeysuckle, chamomile, green apple skin, and crystallized lemon zest. Subtle notes of fresh linen and tropical guava add intrigue and dimension. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and impeccably balanced, offering a delicate interplay of zesty acidity and soft texture. The flavors unfold with a seamless flow, revealing layers of golden kiwi, tart pear, and a whisper of wet stone minerality. The finish is crisp and refined, maintaining a graceful lightness that lingers without heaviness. (JY)

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast: 
"It is exciting to see Chenin Blanc finally getting its due in Northern California. The aromatic white grape has long been a favorite of mine. This one has aromatics that remind the senses of the rocky soils in which this grape thrives- notes of fleshy stone fruit, citrus peel, white florals, and dried herbs on the nose; the flavors on the palate are more developed because the wine has time to rest in the bottle. The white nectarine and grapefruit layered throughout the slivers of limestone make for a lip-smacking dry finish. " - Tonya Pitts (Dec 2025)

93 Points - Jeb Dunnuck: 
"Raised mostly in stainless steel, but 20% in neutral French oak and a splash in 5% cement, the 2023 Chenin Blanc displays a bright yellow/silver hue and is floral and dewy, with fresh aromas of white blossoms, baby powder, starfruit, and candied citrus. Medium-bodied, it’s bright through the finish, with an elegant, linear, and weightless feel. It’s really pretty and never feels austere. Coming from vines planted in the 1940s, this is a very appealing wine to drink over the next 6-8 years." - Audrey Frick (Jun 2024)

91 Points, Rank #71 Top 100 Wines of 2024 - Wine Spectator:
"Shows plenty of verve and intensity, offering yuzu, mango and lemon curd notes at the core, plus accents of hops, vetiver and lemongrass. Vibrant acidity and plenty of momentum on the finish make this a showy wine, with a hint of crunchy sea salt that lingers. Drink now. 6,000 cases made." - MaryAnn Worobiec (Dec 2024)

91 Points - Wine Advocate: 
"The 2023 Chenin Blanc was matured for six months mainly in stainless steel and 20% used French oak. It has bright aromas of white peach, kiwi, candle wax, floral perfume and flinty streaks. The light-bodied palate is pure and refreshing with gently flinty flavors and a candle smoke-laced finish. 5,995 cases produced." - Erin Brooks (Dec 2024)