Wente Vineyards Estate Grown Morning Fog Chardonnay, 75 cl (Case of 3)

Since 1883, five generations of our family have handcrafted fine wines that express the very best of our vineyards and winemaking expertise. Our Estate Grown Morning Fog Chardonnay is named for the morning coastal fog pushed by Pacific wind streams into the bowl of the San Francisco Bay and lured inland by Livermore Valley’s unique East-West orientation. This daily phenomenon moderates the climate to produce excellent, beautifully balanced Chardonnay. Planted on various Wente clones, each vineyard block is farmed and harvested separately which maximizes quality and adds an elegant complexity to the wine. Recognized as “California’s First Family of Chardonnay”, our family was the first in California to produce a varietally labeled Chardonnay in 1936 made from our heritage Wente clones. Today, nearly 80% of the Chardonnay vineyards in California are planted with the Wente clone, which originated from our family’s estate. “Morning Fog Chardonnay is a great expression of Livermore Valley Chardonnay, with diverse alluvial fans of soil consistently creating Chardonnay with beautiful and lingering minerality, which coupled with the natural acidity from the long and cool growing season, creates a beautifully balanced wine.” - Karl D. Wente, Fifth Generation Winemaker. FERMENTATION This wine is fermented in 50% neutral American oak barrels and 50% in stainless steel tanks. The oak provides hints of vanilla and enhances the mouthfeel and the steel preserves the naturally vibrant fruit flavours inherent in this Chardonnay. AGEING The barrel fermented portion was aged sur lie for 5 months and batonnage, the art of stirring the barrels, was performed monthly. This adds a creamy note to the wine and greatly enhances the texture. From the remaining 50% stainless steel portion, half was aged on lees for 5 months while the other half was racked clean to preserve the fresh fruit character. TASTING NOTE Crisp, lean flavours of melon, grapefruit, green apple and pear are balanced by subtle hints of oak and vanilla from barrel aging. With mouth-filling body, lingering minerality, and balanced acidity, this wine delivers a long, refreshing finish.