Three by Wade - A New World of Chenin Blanc
NBA Hall of Famer and Proprietor of Wade Cellars - Dwyane Wade.
Photo Courtesy of Wade Cellars
This 2020 Three By Wade California Chenin Blanc is one of several labels being produced by the team of the legendary winemaker Jayson Pahlmeyer, Co-Founder Jamie Watson and Proprietor Dwyane Wade. Wade, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee is considered by many to be among the top shooting guards to ever play professional basketball.
Too often are passion projects made up of all passion and very little follow through, but Wade Cellars has quickly found success not just in part because of the visibility of its proprietor, but because it consistently overdelivers for the price amongst retailers and sommeliers alike. Brand Ambassador to Wade Cellars, George Washington Carver Walker III, has also done a tremendous job of sharing the story of Wade Cellars through his work on the James Beard Nominated SOMMTV Exclusive Cooking Competition Show, “Sparklers.” Needless to say I am thrilled to finally have had the opportunity to sit down and taste through this exceptional wine.
Brand Ambassador to Wade Cellars, George Washington Carver Walker III
Photo Courtesy of Wade Cellars
From the first sniff I imagined myself walking through a lemon grove… early enough in the morning when the ground is still fresh with the morning dew. I take in a breath of that cool morning air…the experience is extraordinary as the scents of lemon oil, lemon rind with just the smallest note of white spring flowers run over my pallet. This 2020 vintage is the second release of Chenin Blanc from Wade Cellars and it is showing exceptionally well. It is bright, acidic, and very approachable even for people who aren’t familiar with this variety. I would almost akin this grape to a New World Sauvignon Blanc in it’s structure and flavor profile. It is definitely a variety to try if you’d like to expand your white wine pallet.
Three by Wade’s Chenin Blanc is a truly refreshing wine that has a strong sense of self and is screaming to be paired alongside fresh soft cheese, bitter greens and toasted bread. This humble glass of wine almost criminally overdelivers for the suggested retail price. I was able to snatch this bottle up at my local Whole Foods for $16.99.
Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Producer: Wade Cellars Three by Wade - Dwyane Wade
AVA: Napa Valley, California
ABV: 13.1%
Vintage: 2020
Suggested Serving Temperature: 48F
Color: Star bright wine, pale straw and light hay core leading to a watery meniscus. Similar in color to a very young New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Viscosity: Low, legs are thin and quickly moving around the rim and bowl of the glass.
Gas: No signs of Gas or Sediment; this wine has been filtered.
Nasal Profile: Lemon oil, lemon zest, fresh yellow apple, ripe white peach, lemon curd, fresh cut pineapple, river stones, white spring flowers, and watermelon rind. Citrus is the strong through line in this bottle, but there is also a small menthol quality to it on the back end as the wine rises in temperature.
Intensity: Medium Minus to Medium Intensity on the Nose
Fruit: Very present and lovely balanced citrus. Very fresh, as if you harvested the lemons after a late spring frost.
Earth: No tertiary notes present at the time of examination.
Wood: This wine has no signs of oak aging leading me to conclude that it was aged in stainless steel.
Body: Light body with a slight viscus, oily quality.
Acid: High acid, like licking an under ripe lemon. The wine was leaning toward lemon/grapefruit pith as the temperature rose.
Alcohol: Medium Plus, you can feel the warmth of the vintage from the front to back of your pallet.
Length/Finish: Medium Plus Length with a very pleasant finish and balanced to the flavor profile.
Purchase Price: $16.99…a stunning price for a wine that could easily be sold for double the price at retail and triple the price at restaurants.
Food Pairing: Goat Cheese Salad with Strawberries, light Pomegranate Vinaigrette. If served at cellar temp (48F) this wine would work with any number of small plates/appetizers: bruschetta with burrata and lemon zest, spinach pie with feta cheese, tabbouleh, etc.
