Wente Vineyards Sandstone Merlot, Livermore Valley

Description

Wente Vineyards Sandstone Merlot is a red wine produced from grapes grown in the Livermore Valley. The Livermore Valley, first established in 1982, is an AVA (American Viticultural Area) located around the city of Livermore in the Tri-Valley region. It is part of Wente’s Coastal Vineyard Series which also includes the Morning Fog Chardonnay.

Wente Vineyards History

Wente Vineyards was founded by C. H. Wente, a first-generation immigrant from Germany, in 1883. Recognizing that the Livermore Valley’s warm days, cool nights and gravelly soils were ideal for growing grapes, he purchased 48 acres and planted vineyards. The Wente family has played a significant role in shaping the California wine industry. In 1908, C.H. planted the first Chardonnay vines in the Livermore Valley and in 1936 Wente was the first California winery to produce a wine labelled as Chardonnay. Today many of the great Chardonnay vineyards in California are planted with the Wente Clone. Plantings are estimated to cover some 90,ooo acres. Continuing the 125 year legacy, today the fifth-generation winegrowers Karl, Christine, Jordan, Aly, and Niki Wente are all working in various roles in the winery from operations, viticulture, and marketing.

The grapes for the Wente Vineyards Sandstone Merlot come from a gently sloping formation of hills running along the southeastern corner of the historic Livermore Valley. Here, the warm days, cool nights, well-drained sandstone soils and incoming breezes from the San Francisco Bay make the Wente family’s hillside vineyard an ideal place to grow outstanding Merlot and Bordeaux grape varieties allowing them to develop to full maturity.

Wente Vineyards Sandstone Merlot Vinification

The 2021 Wente Vineyards Sandstone Merlot is a blend of 86% Merlot, 6% Petite Sirah, 3% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot, 1.5% Mourvedre and 1.5% Syrah. Varietals were fermented separately in upright stainless steel fermenters and pumped over 2-3 times daily. The wine was pressed on the skins after 7-12 days and then aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels.

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.