Matt Crutchfield Wines "Skin Contact" 2023 Chenin Blanc Clarksburg AVA

750ml bottle

11.4% abv

Salinity and honeydew melon with citrus pith, ginger, and sage.

Destemmed and fermented on skins, pressed to neutral oak for 11 months of aging. This new vintage is lighter in tannin, but still has plenty of textural presence that I love about skin fermenting Chenin Blanc. This year I decided to add about 10% Greco which adds to the color and mid palate of this wine.

– Winemaker's notes

Matt got his start working in tasting rooms in Shenandoah Valley Virginia and wine bars in Charleston before heading to Sonoma to work a harvest. One harvest turned into 6 (plus a stint in New Zealand) and Matt knew that the cellar was where he belonged. He now works as Assistant Winemaker at RYME Cellars where he makes his own wines on the side. His wine focus is on white wines and orange wines from the same grape variety with as minimal intervention as possible.

Representation is deeply important to Matt and besides the joy he derives from making wines he’s proud of, he’s even more proud to start a business with which he can encourage people who look like him to delve into wine.

 – Charleston Wine + Food