2008 Chardonnay Beresini

The 2008 Tor Chardonnay Torchiana is even better. It may be too exotic for readers looking for restrained, white Burgundy-styled Chardonnay. Big orange marmalade, pineapple, and honeyed lemon-like aromas jump from the glass of this full-bodied, in-your-face, exuberant Chardonnay. Good acidity, terrific concentration, and a beautiful long finish suggest this excellent Chardonnay should drink well for 3-5 years. Because the majority of Tor Kenward’s wines are from Napa, I have also included his Chardonnay from Sonoma as well as his Grenache/Syrah blend from Bennett Valley. Tor Kenward, the long-time PR professional at the Beringer group, continues to fine tune his craft. He has been a collector and connoisseur of European wines for as long as I have known him (over 25 years ), and I am sure that gives him a perspective in terms of searching out top sites to make wines that combine the complexity of European wines with the beautiful fruit, texture, and purity that the viticultural Shangri-La of California provides. Tor produces three Cabernet Sauvignons, and tasting through the 2007s was a treat. He is obsessed with fully mature polyphenols (sweet tannins), and he seems to have achieved that in each of these three beauties. Tel. (707) 963-3100; Fax (707) 963-3114