March 18, 2018 - Purchased at winery. These SCMtns appellation chards are always age-worthy standouts in the Fogarty lineup, but this bottle really takes the cake. From a really difficult vintage, no less. Pours a shimmering, healthy gold and tastes fresh as a daisy -- no signs of decay anywhere. Per usual, really hits its stride as it comes up from fridge temp.
Signature searing, fresh lemon. Great tension/balance between the bright citrus and the rich caramel, pineapple, and lime curd. Long, chiseled finish. 93+, with another point or two of upside, even at this later stage of the game. No clue when this goes over the hill, but expect it to be very long-lived by CA chard standards. Outstanding QPR -- as will all vintages of this wine: buy lots, drink often, but save enough to be able to enjoy its entire lifespan.
October 24, 2017 - Oaky buttery goodness
April 22, 2017 - A Visit to Thomas Fogarty Winery (Thomas Fogarty Winery): I chose not to rate this as I feared the sample I tried was lightly oxidized with a bruised impression on the fruit. Regardless this seemd like a large scaled Chard. Nose of binned Apple, caramel, green apple skin, but note much else. The palate has elevated acid and a short finish. I found this lacking substance and depth.
November 4, 2016 - Thomas Fogarty Winery (Santa Cruz - Skyline): A nice and straightforward Chardonnay, with some lemon citrus, butter, and vanilla. Not over the top in its modern style and quite friendly on the approach and through the mid-palate. A bit simple, but a well-rounded white that satisfies for its easy-going deliverability.
Its simplicity was especially highlighted when tasted alongside the 2012 Damiana Chardonnay, which was far superior.
October 18, 2016 - Rich and buttery but not too much oak. A nice complexity.
July 12, 2016 - Refreshing with a shy personality of light citrus
December 8, 2015 - Medium nose shows white pear, green apple, daffodils. Palate is nicely crisp, linear, but then some round mouthfeel on the finish. You can tell there's a touch of oak (20% new) and that's well done, with light vanilla, butter cream underneath the fruit. Acidity medium, nice balance, finish medium to med plus. Nice style.
October 11, 2015 - Crisp and refreshing
February 27, 2015 - I found intense floral perfumes on the nose along with peach skins and a hint of almond. On the palate, this showed a push and pull of rich textures contrasted by brisk acidity and cut, showing ripe stone fruits and mineral-stone. Rich fruit textures seemed to coat the palate throughout the finish with a lingering hint of almond.