April 27, 2008 - A bit acidic on the finish, particularly when the bottle was first opened. Hints of lemon, honey, slate with a dash of pear and apple. A nice, not over-oaked, but pushing its limits. (A reminder of how good Chalone chards were).
April 23, 2008 - Not as bad as the last, but this baby was toast.
April 21, 2008 - Be afraid, be very afraid.
January 7, 2007 - Over the hill.
December 25, 2006 - xmas 06: disappointing has lost flavour. too oaky now
September 23, 2006 - Probably the best bottle from Chalone for 2001. Golden color, nice acidity with a fairly muted nose. Hints of apples, pears, grass and a hint of malolactic. Not oaky! The main improvement is an acidic finish seems to have fallen away which accounts for the slightly higher score than previously.
August 1, 2005 - golden colour. very light weight in the glass. Not oak or artifical like some cal chardonnays very please apple and tropical flavours and a little bitter finish (10 seconds). Excellent
June 25, 2005 - Opened with a nice color and a muted nose. Not a lot of aroma developed in the bottle. A little bit of apple, pear, toast or oak to taste. A little acidic on the back of the tongue but very smooth. Chalone stopped making the reserve chardonnay by this vintage, but I'm not certain this is an improvement despite what the winemaker says. Also not sure as to how long this will age.
June 24, 2005 - i think that i agree with the spectator description and longevity estimates moreso than parker. we had several off system bottles shortly after release which showed more flavor intensity than is currently evident. nevertheless, presently, the wine seems to be showing everything that it has. color is moving toward golden hue. apples and pears are still there. i assume that this wine saw some oak which is where the vanilla chimes in. i would drink this wine sooner rather than later if i had any more.
December 7, 2004 - Heritage: Great stuff. Soft oak, toast; great melon and minerals notes; intense nose; appley mouth, smooth silky med. bod; long fruit fin.--goes on and on.