Lo-Fi Santa Barbara County Chenin Blanc 2021

A delicious Chenin from natural winemaker Mike Roth, with surprisingly crisp, citrusy acidity and a more fruit-forward profile than many of its Loire Valley cousins. Bright minerality up front leads to fresh white peaches and vibrant orange zest flavors. Subtle tropical fruit adds some weight and depth to the wine, and fossilized deposits in the vineyard’s soil impart impressive, refreshing minerality. Absolutely delicious!

This Chenin Blanc hails from two vineyard sites in Santa Barbara County: Honeybear and Jurassic Park. Grapes are hand-harvested and sent directly to press with the juice being fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels and a few stainless steel tanks for six months. 35 parts per million of SO2 were added prior to bottling to keep in line with the low intervention, “Lo-Fi” philosophy. Wooly and with a hint of freshly struck matchbox reduction, this Chenin shimmers on the palate with lush offerings of orchard fruit and whispers of chamomile. Its hi-tone acidity adds focused structure but the thoughtful utilization of neutral oak buffs out the sharp edges and adds a pillowy softness.

Lo-Fi is a partnership between two lifelong friends who believe in hand crafted honest wines that are made for everyday drinking. Focusing less on collectibility and more on quaffability, these wines are honest, authentic representations of a softer side of California. Wines to be enjoyed, not to be collected. Easy-drinking lower alcohol wines made to pair well with all types of foods, from pizza to paté. They believe in neutral barrels, native yeasts, little to no sulfur additions, and no adjustment of pH. They embrace the "nothing added, nothing taken away" philosophy that gives birth to wines that are young, vibrant and alive. But in all reality, Lo-Fi is less about what it is and more about what it is not. It is not over-manipulated. It is not over-extracted. It is not over-ripe and it is not over-priced.