Carmenet Reserve Oak Aged Chardonnay 2022

The wine is made from Chardonnay (supplemented with a very small percentage of Sauvignon Blanc). The Chardonnay is fermented in American oak barrels. After fermentation, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged in American oak barrels for several months, varying from 3-9 months depending on the barrel. For this wine, barrels with a high 'toasting' were chosen, so that the wine develops clear notes of toast, vanilla and spices. The wine also matures on the yeast cells ('sur lie'), which makes the wine rounder, fuller and more complex in taste.

Carmenet is made by the American Bronco Wine Company. The Bronco winery is located in the hinterland of North California, south of the city of Modesto, where the average summer temperature can rise to around 25 degrees Celsius. The winery, founded in 1973, is owned by the Italian Franzia family. Their motto is: 'accessible wines for the American table'.