Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2018

Daffodil, white flower, Asian pear and almond aromas make for a clean and crisp nose in this single-vineyard expression from the pioneering family. It's lively and fresh in flavors of honeydew, pear and sea salt.

"Our Riva Ranch Single Vineyard Chardonnay is a beautifully rich, yet balanced style of Chardonnay that represents what the Arroyo Seco appellation has to give.
In addition to the classic Chardonnay aromas of apple and pear, Arroyo Seco consistently delivers aromas of tropical fruits and stone fruits.
This is distinctly a California style of Chardonnay but is consistently well balanced with ample acidity." - Karl D. Wente, Fifth Generation Winemaker

For five generations, our family has been dedicated to the art of winemaking and to the philosophy that the quality of a wine originates in the vineyard. Our Single Vineyard Riva Ranch Chardonnay is sourced exclusively from our family’s Riva Ranch Vineyard in Arroyo Seco, Monterey. Arroyo Seco is widely regarded as one of the best places in California to grow Chardonnay, where we have been growing since the 1960’s. The cool growing season with the deep gravelly soil ripen the Chardonnay perfectly, which gives natural balance of sugar and acidity. Recognized as “California’s First Family of Chardonnay”, our family was the first in California to produce a varietally labeled Chardonnay made from our Wente clone. Today, many of the great Chardonnay vineyards in California are planted with the Wente clone, which originated from our family’s estate.

In 1883, C. H. Wente, a first-generation immigrant from Germany, purchased 47 acres in the Livermore Valley . Recognizing that the warm days, cool nights and gravelly soils of the Livermore Valley were ideal for growing grapes, he planted vines and founded Wente Vineyards. 130 years later, Wente Family Estates continue to be family owned and operated by the fourth and fifth generation Wente’s, Eric, Philip, Carolyn, Christine and Karl.