Westend Estate No.1 Oak Aged Chardonnay 2007

Description
THIS is a rich, beautifully balanced Chardonnay from the Westend Estate. Like many from the Riverina region, Westend's origins are Italian. It was founded in 1945 by Francesco and Elizabeth Calabria who had emigrated from Italy in 1927. They first managed to purchase five acres at the western end of Griffith town and named the cellar Calabria Wines.

The winery is now in the hands of their son, Bill Calabria, who left school in 1964 at 16. He joined his brothers in the family business and soon proved his worth ... in the cellar and elsewhere.

In fact he joined with Pat Sergi of Riverina wines nearby, to form a band, playing rock n'roll at local dances and concerts. He was also adept in the boxing ring and became the welter weight champion of Riverina at 21.

However, his true talent is apparent in the wine cellar and from 1974, he took a lead role in the winery. First off, he changed its name to Westend Estate, then decided to focus totally on quality, estate-bottled wine.

His philosophy throughout is to 'keep it personal' and this entails supervising every aspect of the winemaking process. He now has about 20 hectares of vineyard in Hanwood, the site of Westend's original vineyards, and has a close network of growers who regularly supply him with the rest of his grape requirements.

International Wine Challenge 2008, United Kingdom

Decanter World Wine Awards 2008, United Kingdom

Riverina Wine Show 2008, Australia