This Enate Chardonnay Fermentado en Barrica 2023 is one of the standard benchmarks for oak-aged Spanish Chardonnay and is considered a true signature wine for Enate. The wine demonstrates how this Somontano estate brings together ripe fruit and new French oak without losing the fresh character of Chardonnay. What makes this wine so special? Both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place entirely in new French oak barrels, followed by extended aging on the lees, which provides a depth and texture rarely seen with such consistency in this style.
The grapes for this wine come from Spain, in the northeastern region of Aragón, within the Somontano wine area. This region is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees and is known for its combination of altitude, cooling influences, and dry conditions. Enate is one of the leading producers in Somontano and has focused heavily on quality and precision in the vineyard since its inception. Here, the Chardonnay benefits from a climate with warm days and cooler nights, contributing to ripe aromas while maintaining natural freshness, a key pillar for this wine style.
After the harvest, the grapes arrive at the cellar in perfect health and at optimal ripeness. Pressing is carried out gently and in a controlled manner using a pneumatic press. After static clarification of the must at 8 °C, the wine ferments completely in new French oak barrels. Both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place in these barrels, ensuring the wine has intense contact with the wood from the very beginning. The wine then ages for 7 months on the lees in the same barrels, with bi-weekly bâtonnage—the regular stirring of the yeast—to impart extra creaminess and complexity. After aging, the wine is fined with bentonite and cold-stabilized at -5 °C.
Chardonnay – Somontano
This wine is a single-varietal Chardonnay. Here, the grape is used for a powerful, oak-driven style in which structure, ripe fruit, and freshness are kept in balance through vinification and lees-aging.
