Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Pan-seared sea scallops, roasted chicken with tarragon butter, creamy lobster risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
TOR Kenward's Chardonnay program is fueled by a lifelong passion for the great white wines of Burgundy, translated through the lens of Northern California's finest cool-climate terroirs. Sourcing from legendary, wind-swept sites in Carneros and the Sonoma Valley—such as the Hyde, Durell, and Beresini vineyards—TOR crafts Chardonnays of remarkable depth and precision. The winemaking philosophy is deeply traditional: grapes are whole-cluster pressed, fermented with native yeasts in French oak barrels, and subjected to weekly battonage (lees stirring) to build a rich, luscious texture. To preserve the pure expression of the vineyard and the natural vibrancy of the fruit, the wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, yielding a style that beautifully balances opulent California fruit with a classic, mineral-driven structure.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 2001 by Napa Valley veteran Tor Kenward and his wife Susan, TOR Kenward Family Wines represents the culmination of nearly five decades of immersion in California viticulture. Following a 27-year tenure shaping Beringer's private reserve programs, Kenward partnered with talented winemaker Jeff Ames to craft site-driven, artisanal single-vineyard expressions. The estate sources fruit exclusively from premier, sustainably farmed crus across Napa Valley and Carneros, including Beckstoffer To Kalon, Vine Hill Ranch, Dr. Crane, Hyde Vineyard, and Durell Vineyard. Winemaking is dictated by minimal intervention, featuring native-yeast primary and malolactic fermentations, parcel-specific French oak maturation, and bottling without fining or filtration. TOR's benchmark portfolio is anchored by cult Cabernet Sauvignons alongside sculpted, mineral-laced Chardonnays—notably the Durell Vineyard Cuvée Mimi, Torchiana Beresini Vineyard, and Hyde Vineyard bottlings—as well as the ultra-limited Bordeaux-blend cuvées Black Magic and Pure Magic.
🍇 Grapes
Chardonnay