Durell Vineyard Cuvee Mimi Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, seared scallops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The Durell Vineyard Cuvée Mimi Chardonnay is a heartfelt tribute from vintner Tor Kenward to his mother, Mimi. Sourced from the legendary Durell Vineyard—a site straddling the intersection of the Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and Sonoma Coast appellations—this wine showcases the exceptional terroir of Sonoma's volcanic soils and wind-swept hillsides. The fruit is selected from prized blocks of Old Wente clone Chardonnay, known for producing small, concentrated berries with intense flavor profiles. Under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Ames, the wine undergoes indigenous yeast fermentation in French oak barrels and complete malolactic fermentation, followed by aging on its lees with regular stirring. This traditional, low-intervention approach results in a Chardonnay of remarkable texture, balancing rich, golden orchard fruit with a vibrant, flinty minerality that is characteristic of the Durell 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