Grape: 100% Chenin Blanc
Region: Merritt Island, Sacramento (not its own ava so techincally, "California")
About: Named 'Jeanne D'Arc' given its tie to the Chenin Blanc grape which is mainly grown in Loire Valley where Jeanne D'Arc was famous. Since 2002, The Folk Machine has been a family-owned and independently operated winery based in the historic Roseland neighborhood of Santa Rosa. The 2020 Jeanne D'Arc is yet another gem from Kenny Likitprakong. Like this skin-macerated Chenin hailing from the sandy soils of Merritt Island in the Sacramento river delta, near Clarksburg. Though its most certainly an orange wine, the color is more faded gold, and the nose is subdued. She's equally regal and restrained on the palate, with pithy citrus, lemon curd, savory thyme and a delicate peach character dancing with light tannins from the extended skin contact. Softer and prettier than many orange wines, this makes an excellent intro to the style. Great food wine, try with rich seafood dishes, or anything with a cream sauce.
Vinification: Destemmed to an open-top fermentor. The wine was not chilled or inoculated. The fermentation began naturally after about 6 days on the skins. A little less than a month later, we pressed the dry juice off the skins to neutral French barrels and let the malolactic fermentation proceed naturally till complete in neutral barrels.