Durell Vineyard Wente Clone Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2029
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted chicken, pan-seared scallops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
Sourced from the legendary Durell Vineyard, which straddles the Sonoma Valley, Carneros, and Sonoma Coast appellations, this Chardonnay is a masterclass in terroir-driven winemaking. First planted in the late 1970s by Ed Durell, the vineyard is celebrated for its rocky, clay-loam soils and cool, wind-swept climate. TOR Kenward focuses on the historic Old Wente clone here, famous for its 'chicks and hens' berry structure—a natural phenomenon where tiny, seedless berries mingle with larger ones, resulting in exceptional concentration, skin-to-juice ratio, and vibrant acidity. Winemaker Jeff Ames employs traditional Burgundian techniques, including native yeast fermentation in French oak barrels and regular battonage, to craft a Chardonnay of remarkable texture, depth, and mineral tension.
🍾 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
14.1-14.5%