About this WINE
Kenwood Vineyards
Kenwood Winery was established in 1970 in Sonoma County, California,when a group of wine enthusiasts from the San Francisco Bay area restored the old Pagani Brothers Winery which had been originally built in 1906. The winery has its own 22-hectare estate but also sources grapes from elsewhere for its blends.
The grapes for this Zinfandel are drawn from Sonoma, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek, all excellent quality areas. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks the wine is aged for up to 19 months in a combination of French and American oak. Zinfandel is now regarded as one of California’s indigenous grape varietals, even if it may trace its origins back to Italy where it has a remarkable resemblance to the Primitivo.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
One has certain expectations of a Californian Chardonnay and this certainly does not disappoint. The nose is redolent of ripe tropical and stone fruit, with a hint of sweetness from French oak. The palate is full-bodied and creamy in texture, but with a spine of lemon acidity, leading to a sweet fruit laden and oak influenced finish. Ideal with white meat in a creamy sauce.
Martin Hudson MW Wine Education Specialist
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