Chenin Blanc
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Goat cheese crostini, grilled pork chops, spicy Thai green curry
✨ Technical Specifications
McPherson Cellars has been a cornerstone of the Texas wine industry, with roots tracing back to the 1970s when Dr. Clinton Doc McPherson, a chemistry professor and pioneer, planted some of the state's first wine grapes. Among his early successes was Chenin Blanc, a grape that found an unexpected but highly suitable home in the high-altitude, semi-arid terroir of the Texas High Plains AVA. Today, his son Kim McPherson continues this legacy, crafting a vibrant and expressive Chenin Blanc. Sourced from vineyards planted in sandy loam soils at elevations of around 3,400 feet, the grapes benefit from intense daytime sun and cool desert nights, preserving their natural acidity. Fermented entirely in stainless steel to maintain its crisp, fruit-forward profile, this wine showcases bright notes of green apple, pear, and honeyed citrus, serving as a testament to the potential of Texas viticulture.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2000 by winemaker Kim McPherson and opened within a converted 1930s Coca-Cola bottling plant in Lubbock's Depot District in 2008, McPherson Cellars honors the pioneering legacy of Dr. Clinton 'Doc' McPherson, a founding father of modern Texas viticulture. Sourcing fruit almost entirely from the wind-swept Texas High Plains AVA, the estate champions warm-climate cultivars uniquely adapted to the region's semi-arid, continental climate, sandy clay loam soils, and high elevations above 3,000 feet. Diurnal shifts preserve vibrant natural acidity, counteracting intense summer heat. Embracing a philosophy of planting to the land rather than mimicking Burgundian or Bordeaux archetypes, McPherson focuses predominantly on Rhône, Iberian, and Mediterranean varieties. Vinified primarily in stainless steel with judicious oak contact, benchmark white and rosé bottlings like The Queen Viognier, Reserve Roussanne, Picpoul Blanc, and Les Copains White deliver crisp minerality, balanced ripeness, and distinctive regional authenticity.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Chenin Blanc