Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/961311
76 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } APRIL/MAY 2018 Earlier that day, Wente had de- scribed Charles Wetmore as "a beau- tiful, gravely swath of land" to a group of high-performance distributors honored at the Wente Legacy Awards the night before. We had reassembled for an eye-opening comparative tast - ing, where the winery provided each of us with three rows of wines made from different grape varieties; each row featured three different produc - ers. The bottom row comprised the Wente Vineyards 2016 Riva Ranch Chardonnay from Arroyo Seco at $22 retail, the La Crema 2015 Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley at $30, and the Rombauer 2016 Chardonnay from Carneros at $38. The next two rows painted a simi - lar picture. The Wente Vineyards 2015 Charles Wetmore Cabernet Sauvi- gnon faced off against two Cabernets, both at higher price points, from Napa and Paso Robles. In the last row, we tasted the Wente Vineyards 2014 Riva Ranch Pinot Noir alongside two other expressions—again at higher costs—from the Sonoma Coast and the Russian River Valley. Although each of the Wente vari - etals offered their own unique typicity, there was one glaring commonality— each outshined their competitors by a mile. This was so shockingly obvious to the group that a discussion ensued around raising their price points, espe - cially considering the Wente expres- sions were single-vineyard designates. W ente won't be raising those prices—at least, not in the near future. After all, most producers lack the luxury of having 2,000 acres of estate- grown vineyards at their disposal, and the decision—or lack thereof—is good news for those looking to include a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Chardonnay in their by-the-glass program. Riva Ranch AVA: Arroyo Seco, Monterey Soil: Three distinct soil profiles, all peppered with river stones (shale and limestone deposits) from the Arroyo Seco River Climate: A cool, longer grow- ing season influenced by close proximity to the coast Elevation: 260–1,000 feet above sea level Grapes: Chardonnay (2A, Clone 4, Old Wente Heritage Clones, and Dijon clones 94, 96, and 76), Pinot Noir, Gewürztra- miner, Pinot Grigio, Syrah, and White Riesling Current Release Wine(s): Riva Ranch Chardonnay and Riva Ranch Pinot Noir The Chardonnay from Riva Ranch will blos- som into an "unabashed, big, rich California style," said Wente. "Those rich fruit flavors that come from Arroyo Seco can hold up to that barrel fermentation and other things like sur lie aging." While I agreed with Wente, I still think the wine showed much brighter than the other two Chardonnays in the comparative tasting and could say the same for the Riva Ranch Pinot Noir. This could possibly be attributed to the cooler climate and long growing season: "We pick the Morning Fog Chardonnay [out of Livermore] in the month of September ; in Arroyo Seco, we pick in October," Wente explained. "The longer hangtime you have, the more development you're going to get." That said, places like the Sonoma Coast and Carneros aren't any warmer than Arroyo Seco, so the difference could simply stem from the Wente family's five generations of experi - ence. "The core tenants of all our wines are the sense of place, then varietal typicity, then elegance and balance," Wente explained. "To simplify, we're flavor and texture farmers, so my job is to figure out how to work with the vineyards in order to achieve that optimal deliciousness. It's that pursuit of beauty."