A joint venture between LPGA golfer Annika Sorenstam and Wente Vineyards, Annika Vineyard’s second offering was a 2008 Chardonnay. It joined the 2006 Syrah which was the winery’s inaugural release.
The pale-golden Annika Chardonnay opens with the classic aromas of pear and apple. The mouthfeel is soft and lush, with a palate of cantaloupe, apricot, peach, and tangerine. The slightly sweet sensation is balanced by just enough acidity to be refreshing. The finish features toasty vanilla and ground spice flavors.
Sorenstam, working closely with winemaker Karl Wente, selected Chardonnay grapes from two Wente estate vineyards; these vineyards were chosen for their exceptional fruit and production consistency. After the grapes were picked and sorted by hand, the wine underwent a long, cool barrel fermentation in a combination of French, American, Eastern European, and neutral oak, and was aged for 17 months.
Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is the country’s oldest continuously operated family-owned winery. After learning about winemaking from Charles Krug, C. H. Wente, a first-generation immigrant from Germany, founded the winery in 1883 on 48 acres that offered the ideal grape-growing criteria of warm days, cool nights, and gravelly soils.
The winery is led today by the fourth- and fifth-generations of the Wente family. Blending traditional and innovative winemaking practices, the winery now draws from 3,000 acres of sustainably farmed estate vineyards.
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