Wente Vineyards Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay

Vineyard

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 EastWest 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.

Winemaking

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 flavors inherent in this Chardonnay.

Aging : 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.