Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted chicken, creamy mushroom risotto, pan-seared scallops
✨ Technical Specifications
The Durell Vineyard, nestled in the rocky, clay-loam soils where the Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and Sonoma Coast AVAs converge, is legendary among California Chardonnay enthusiasts. Originally planted in 1979 by Ed Durell, this vineyard benefits from the cooling breezes of the Petaluma Gap and San Pablo Bay, allowing for a long, slow growing season. Tor Kenward has sourced from this iconic site for decades, selecting old Wente clone blocks known for producing tiny, highly concentrated berries. Winemaker Jeff Ames coaxes the vineyard's signature character using traditional, low-intervention techniques: native yeast fermentation, full malolactic fermentation, and aging in French oak barrels. The resulting wine is celebrated for its luxurious texture, vibrant citrus and stone fruit notes, and a distinct flinty minerality that reflects its unique terroir.
🍾 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
🍷 ABV
14.2-14.6%