Consumer interest in white wines is growing, and winemakers are taking notice. Our latest Tasting Highlights features a diverse mix of well-priced white wines from California and Washington state. There’s more than just Sauvignon Blanc here; there’s also Chenin Blanc, Picpoul de Pinet, Albariño and an Arinto-based blend, showing that West Coast winemakers are willing to explore beyond the best-known categories to capture the attention of wine fans.
Among the top-scoring wines is a bright and fresh Chenin Blanc from Santa Barbara–based Foxen. Located in the cool-climate Santa Maria Valley, the Ernest Wickenden Vineyard is an estate site for the winery, and it features 58-year-old Chenin Blanc plantings that provide the grapes for this white. Winemaker David Whitehair aged the wine for five months in French oak puncheons, with a small amount also going into acacia barrels. The resulting white has a lip-smacking core of generous apricot, chamomile and melon notes.
This lineup also includes Gramercy Cellars' Picpoul Walla Walla Valley 2023, a vivacious white with grapefruit and lime notes. Read on to get our score and full tasting note for this excellent West Coast white wine and seven others.
Tasting Highlights' wine reviews are fresh out of the tasting room, offering a sneak peek of our editors' most recent ratings—including scores and full tasting notes—to WineSpectator.com members.
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