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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.7 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 52 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Sfcf on 1/22/2024 & rated 90 points: Still going strong! Such a beautiful wine, so crisp and clean for a California Chardonnay (163 views) | | | Tasted by timtom on 1/13/2020 & rated 88 points: Delicate citrus, minerality, and a touch of grassiness. Seems more Chablis than California. A very nice drinkable Chardonnay, it would be lovely on a summer day. (1565 views) | | | Tasted by dededee on 12/6/2019: Not very Californian in style, I like more oak and malo. Quite acidic. In my opinion a tad over priced. I think one can find same quality for half the price. (1541 views) | | | Tasted by dead puddle on 10/7/2018 & rated 91 points: Blind tasting for my guest. Nice structure with vivacity white spice hay and roasted cereals. A bit like the best Chardonnay from Macon area. Some dried underwood notes at the end made me think about cork, but just a doubt. Still excellent. Very appreciated here in Marseille. (2385 views) | | | Tasted by wiscgrad on 9/23/2018 & rated 93 points: I really enjoyed this bottle. it had good citrus fruit (ie lemon), but also had some minerality and light/med acidity. walks the line well between new and old world chard (2144 views) | | | Tasted by twain on 8/19/2018 & rated 93 points: High toned nose, mineral, lime. Rich rich palate, delicious with lots of acidity, citrus, mineral and great balance. Lenghty mineral finish. Very Burgundy in style. (2182 views) | | | Tasted by beatles on 8/18/2018 & rated 91 points: American, yes but the acidity keeps this very much alive; very well balkanced Californian Chardonnay, a wee bit commercial but in a very boutique sort of style; happy to drink this one any day. (1688 views) | | | Tasted by David J Cooper on 11/4/2017 & rated 87 points: Light grey/yellow. Dull nose, nutty, pine nut and citrus. Chablis like flavours and a decent bit of lemony acid in the finish.
Decent but nothing to justify the kind of coin they charge. (2478 views) | | | Tasted by tedsc456 on 8/19/2017 & rated 92 points: Beautiful Chardonnay. The best of old world elegance mixed new world fruit. Peach, lemon, nuts....smooth but with crisp fruit to balance it. LOVE IT! Just as wit all Phelps! Could definitely lay down for a few more years to but very very well balanced right now. Reminds me of Hamilton Russel Chardonnay - very much the same balanced style. (2320 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 3/13/2017 & rated 91 points: Wine Institute of California Tasting (Hotel Radisson Blu, Amsterdam Airport, NL): Tasting, brief note. Subtle oak, fresh style, elegant and refined. (3634 views) | | | Tasted by Vasily on 1/3/2017 & rated 93 points: Green apple and grass on the nose. Honeydew, apple, and finally lemon on the palate. Definite acidity. Very enjoyable (3188 views) | | | Tasted by skifree on 10/13/2016 & rated 91 points: Not sure I had the same wine as some of the other tasters - I too had the lemon/lime and minerality style of chardonnay in my bottle. Had not had this wine before, would buy again. (3483 views) | | | Tasted by kostaslonis on 10/2/2016 & rated 91 points: 11th Cellier Wine Fair (Hilton Athenaum Hotel): The oak is rich, strong presence, citrus and lemon. In the palate the oak is even more prominent, rich mouth-feel, nice acidity though, med to long finish, impressive, but not quite my cup of tea (2508 views) | | | Tasted by KVM on 9/21/2016: Light yellow. Nose is of struck match, pear and swirling brings out pineapple. Concentration is OK with pear, pineapple and vanilla. Acidity holds this ripe wine together. Understated and and elegantly balanced. (2366 views) | | | Tasted by Omar Khayyam on 6/26/2016 & rated 88 points: Very popular with all the guests, personally I felt it was an attractive easy to like, oaky, new world chard; with emphasis on new oak and tropical fruit and body over freshness and aging potential. My only complaint is that the oak costume overpowers the fruit and that the price point is slightly high in Sweden. (2590 views) | | | Tasted by AV2012 on 5/24/2016 & rated 88 points: Paris Judgement 40th Anniversary: Very intense and fat green nose, also oak, butter, more pungent than Meursault. It is also rich, but excellent balance, holds well together. There's also sauerkraut and pickle. Quite pungent overall. Hold. (2927 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 3/16/2016 & rated 88 points: Aged for 13 months in French of (30-40% new, the rest used).
Subtly greenish lemon yellow color. Somewhat woody and quite fruity nose that emphasizes fruit yet doesn't hide the oak treatment. Aromas of fresh peaches, some ripe red apples, a little bit of creamy oak, light vanilla tones and a zesty hint of citrus fruits. The wine is full-bodied, round and quite fresh on the palate with flavors of creamy oak, pineapple, some toasty sweet oak, a little bit of ripe peach-driven stone fruit, light mineral tones of wet stones and salt lick, a hint of nutty oak and a touch of vanilla. The wine is moderately high in acidity, but the richness of fruit and oak mask the structure, making the wine feel quite soft and supple on the palate. The finish is a bit more acid-drive with quite lengthy flavors of ripe red apples, creamy richness, some exotic fruits, a little bit of spicy, toasty oak, light buttery tones and a hint of vanilla.
I was enthusiastic to taste this wine since so many people had complimented the wine, it being so very sophisticated and Burgundian in style. Well, I must admit that it certainly wasn't the typically flabby, ponderous and over-oaked monster I always expect a Cali Chard to be like, but it wasn't particularly Burgundian either. The wine lacked the freshness, verve and sense of structure a good Chardonnay should exhibit. This was a relatively good effort for a new world Chardonnay, but no real competition against the best old world counterparts and nothing I'd swoon over. At least the wine showed some sense of aging potential, so hopefully it will turn out better with age. Feels expensive for the style at 50€. (954 views) | | | Tasted by Barry Rothof on 3/15/2016 & rated 91 points: CONTINUUM: Concentrated tight citrus on the nose and palate, with vibrant acidity and minerality, precise, refined and long on the finish. Very good Puligny style Chardonnay! (2964 views) | | | Tasted by walkerjfw on 2/9/2016 & rated 93 points: West of West NYC - short notes from the tasting (City Winery - New York City): First experience with this wine...Light straw color. Light but "perfumed" nose with crushed stones, white flowers. Palate of orchard fruits, quince, pear, lemon fruits. Vanilla on back palate. Crisp minerality that frames the wine nicely
One of the better Chardonnays of the tasting...excellent wine (2916 views) | | | Tasted by Mossrose on 1/28/2016 & rated 93 points: An impressive cooler climate Chardonnay from the ocean cooled part of Sonoma Coast, that is magnificently well balanced and favorably resembles the rich white Burgundies of Robert Denogent. Very faint yellow color. 13.5% alcohol with no invasive separate alcoholic smell or burn, yet is not a small or meager wine. The smell is enjoyably perfumed with complex flavors of white melon, pear, and citrus tree blossoms. The wine smoothly glides into the mouth and completely coats it with a delightful slosh of lemon fruit and oil, honeysuckle flowers, and subtle butter and vanilla. The swallow begins with a bracing acid spike that slowly ebbs back through the earlier tastes. Has all the stuffing to improve with age for a decade. (48 views) | | | Tasted by Francois Le Mouel on 1/18/2016 & rated 90 points: Very fresh, I would have guessed a Meursault. Fresh butter on the nose. Good length. Full malo, 13 months in oak. A bit smoky after a while in the glass. (2177 views) | | | Tasted by camben on 12/29/2015: They have a faint flint inescapable to my nose, ovation the other. Beautiful apple and pear, oak in major check if any? Has a huge mouthfeel and is not a shy wine.
Fantastic (2010 views) | | | Tasted by yofog on 12/13/2015: Lots of custard and tropical fruit. Not my style. (1941 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 11/8/2015 & rated 92 points: A bit more body to this one compared to slightly lean Heitz Chardonnay. Lots of minerality, citrus fruit, just slightly cream. Very fresh and lively on the palate showing very decent length. Excellent. 91-92+ (1999 views) | | | Tasted by Al Doughty on 10/1/2015 & rated 89 points: Nicely balanced on the nose with chalk, hay mixed with juicy pear and honey suckle. The medium-bodied palate shows drier elements of white peach, apricot and lemon that are wrapped around a flinty structure for balance. The citrus flavors persist through the finish, which falls a little short. (1844 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Elaine Chukan Brown
JancisRobinson.com (1/23/2015)
(Joseph Phelps, Freestone Vineyards Chardonnay Sonoma Coast White) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Sonoma, Anderson Valley and Beyond: New Releases (Jan 2015) (1/1/2015)
(Joseph Phelps Vineyards Chardonnay Freestone Vineyard Sonoma Coast) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Joseph Phelps Producer website
In the late 60s, Joseph Phelps was running one of the largest construction companies in the U.S. when he won the bid to build Souverain Winery (now Rutherford Hill) located a few miles outside of St. Helena. Enamored with the beautiful Napa Valley and contemplating a career change, in 1973 he bought the 600-acre Connolly cattle ranch in Spring Valley, and began planting vineyards. The winery was completed in 1974 and that same year the first Syrah was made, the first grapes were crushed at the new facility and the first Insignia was produced. It was a period of unparalleled activity, creativity, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and risk-taking and it put Joe Phelps on the map of top Napa Valley wine producers.
Nearly four decades later, the flagship wine, Insignia, is recognized as one of the world’s great wines. Twenty nine of 34 vintages have been rated ninety or more points by various wine publications. From 1990 to 2007, the average score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate is 94.5 pts., with the lowest score still a fabulous 91. The 2002 vintage was “Wine of the Year” by Wine Spectator Magazine, and the 2007 vintage has been rated 98 points by Robert Parker and 96 points by Wine Spectator Magazine.
Over the years, the goal of becoming 100% estate grown resulted in carefully planned acquisitions of prime vineyards in the Napa Valley. Today, the Phelps estate consists of the Spring Valley Home Ranch outside of St. Helena, Banca Dorada in Rutherford, Las Rocas and Barboza vineyards in Stags Leap, Yountville Vineyard in Oak Knoll, Suscol Vineyard in South Napa and Backus Vineyard in Oakville.
Beginning with the 2009 vintage, estate-grown wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Insignia, Backus (the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville) and Eisrébe, a dessert wine made from the Scheurebe grape. In addition, a small amount of Syrah is produced from fruit owned by Hyde Vineyards in Los Carneros.
Though the main focus is on Bordeaux varietals, Joe Phelps has had a life-long love affair with the wines of Burgundy and a desire to craft wines in that style. Originally Chardonnay was sourced from St. Helena, later from Yountville and then from Los Carneros. Through the years, however, Joe continued to search for the ideal spot to grow both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and his search ended when the perfect combination of climate, soil and location was found in Freestone, located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, a mere eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, 200 acres were acquired and planting began. Today, 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay are producing some remarkable wines which are available for tasting at the Freestone Guest Center. Visit Freestone Vineyards to learn more.Chardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountySonoma Coast * Sonoma Coast AVA (Wikipedia)
* Sonoma Coast AVA (Wine Institue) |
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