Ben says
★ Good Wine “Fleshy yellow colour with aromas of pineapple, nectarine, lemon pith, caramel and packs of lees ageing; a creamy, yoghurty and yeasty note underpinned the wine immediately. Almost cheesy on the palate but with enough fruit to keep it intriguing. Layered oak influence gives the wine length. Let it lean towards room temperature to enjoy more of its character.“
KEY POINTS
99% Chardonnay with 1% Gewurztraminer. According to the producer, the wine is “90% barrel fermented in a combination of new and second use French and American oak. 10% is stainless steel fermented. Aged sur-lie for 6 months, where the wine underwent 100% malolactic fermentation.”
Grown in: Arroyo Seco, Monteray, Central Coast, California, USA.
Food Pairing
Smooth, richly creamy and almost bittersweet, this kind of wine would love roast chicken and all the trimmings, seafood like scallops or lobsters, or a generous risotto with plenty of butter.
Disclosure & Price
Purchased at retail price from the San Francisco airport. Available for £21.00 at London End Wines.
Reviewed and tasted: 12/10/2023
About the Producer
Wente was set-up by the German expat C H Wente in the late 1800s, learning to make wines in the Napa Valley with Charles Krug. The first Chardonnay was sourced from Montpellier nursery cuttings and planted on the Wente estate by the second generation Ernest Wente in the Livermore Valley. What became the ‘Wente clone’ is today responsible for 75% of Californian Chardonnay plantings. Today, the fifth generation have kept Wente in the family with Karl, Christine, Jordan, Aly, and Niki Wente all working in the winery, from the vineyard to the marketing.
