The Tasting Panel magazine

July 2015

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july 2015  /  the tasting panel  /  1 1 1 common parent from Croatia, the result of Gouais Blanc and Pinot Noir being closely planted. "Ernest Wente bottled the first varietally labeled Chardonnay in California in 1936," said Bath. "The Wente clone went on to become the default because the Dijon clone isn't as successful in warmer areas." Although reference to the Wente clone often goes unmentioned by reviewers, many of California's most sought-after and highly-scored Chardonnays—including Hanzell and Stony Hill—are crafted from it. Livermore Valley AVA Chris Chandler, Executive Director of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, presented a brief overview of the climatic and geographic factors of the elevated valley that sits at 400 feet above sea level (see the sidebar summary). "The diurnal shift of as much as 45 to 50 degrees, combined with the winds from the San Francisco Bay that travel over the western hills of the Diablo Range, make their way through the Hayward Pass at the north end of the valley and Niles Canyon to the south help moder- ate temperatures." The session concluded with a comparative tasting of four Chardonnays from Wente Vineyards demonstrating a range of styles and winemaking techniques: 2014 Eric's Small Lot fermented in stainless steel, 2013 Morning Fog, 2013 Riva Ranch Vineyard from Arroyo Secco and 100-percent barrel fermented 2013 Nth Degree. "At this point, Napa is planted, but we've still got areas in Livermore Valley to explore—Pleasanton Ridge and the coolest sites on the far western border of the AVA and on the toe slopes of Altamont Pass," said Philip Wente, who joined the group during lunch on the winery lawn. "Higher-elevation sites on 3,000-ft Mount Diablo and Mount Hamilton also hold potential for world- class Chardonnay." Long Live Livermore Valley The Livermore Valley has been home to Chardonnay since the 1880s and led the variety through Prohibition and into the modern era. Chardonnay drinkers' focus has been pulled in other directions in recent decades, but Livermore Valley still deserves attention. Thanks to its proximity to the San Francisco Bay and the unique east-west orientation of its hills, the climate is consistent and well-suited to Chardonnay. Lightly foggy mornings give way to warm, sunny days, with strong Pacific winds in the late afternoon that drop temperatures by as much as 50 degrees. Ripe fruit flavors develop, but not at the expense of acidity. The length of the valley, with its range of altitudes and soil types, means there is diversity of terroir, which is often reflected in the wines. —Fred Swan US101 US101 US101 US80 US80 US80 US280 US101 87 85 84 92 92 4 4 37 29 US680 US680 US680 US680 US880 US880 US580 US580 US5 US5 US5 132 4 99 99 US580 US580 Map data © Cosmographics Ltd. UK., 2015. Contours (heights in feet) 0 0 10 20 30 kilometers 10 20 miles LIVERMORE VALLEY Washington DC Los Angeles San Francisco LIVERMORE VALLEY Santa Cruz Mountains Santa Clara Valley Napa Valley Sonoma Valley Los Carneros Sonoma Coast Stockton San Francisco Modesto Manteca Tracy Brentwood Livermore Danville Clayton Martinez Vallejo Benicia Richmond Oakland Alameda San Leandro Hayward Fremont Santa Clara Milpitas Palo Alto Foster City San Bruno San Jose Union City Berkeley Hercules American Canyon Napa Walnut Creek Concord Pleasanton Antioch Pittsburg Oakley 2000 200 1000 1000 2000 3000 3000 3000 2000 1000 1000 200 200 200 200 200 1000 1000 1000 The Nth Degree wines feature Livermore at its finest. San Francisco's Slanted Door Sommelier Mark Cartland gets time on the blending bench with Dustin Toshiyuki from Urchin Bistrot in San Francisco and Edgar Zavala, Sommelier at Palio d'Asti in San Francisco.

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