June 20, 2020 - less extracted than my previous bottle by a good amount, but equally enjoyable for an aged chardonnay. color was a glorious dark straw, which makes me question why the previous bottle had a brownish color.
May 17, 2020 - tldr: pnp, was out of balance with sweetness and aged/rich fruit dominant - a lot going on but hard to enjoy. revisited 24 hours later, more balance, more enjoyable. richness and depth to the palate, nose still striking. more fruit on the nose than the palate. keep it chilled, but do not serve too cold - let the expression flow. for those who enjoy aged chardonnay, this will be a treat.
Color: med-dark brown; tbh, kinda gross-looking, semi opaque almost cloudy; looks like a flat dark cider.
Nose: fragrant; rich butterscotch caramels (the candies) and dark honey; candied pineapple and ripe melon.
Body: med, coats the tongue nicely.
Acid: low, not much there anymore.
Alcohol: guessed 13%, actual 14.3%; hidden well, has tamed with age.
Palate: ripe starfruit, melon, yellow apple skin tartness; dark caramel; dryness like a raw hazelnut or a chalky piece of stale popcorn; delicate finish lasts for 15+ seconds
October 11, 2017 - The color is as gold as apple juice. Nose of candied apple. On the tongue I get Apple, tropical fruit, vanilla, mineral - but this wine is not what I would call "buttery" at this stage. Time has allowed the fruit and oak to fall in line and there is a nice acidic backbone which ties everything together. Fully mature but with life. Drink up if you have any left as these will not get better.
January 9, 2010 - Nose: oaky, buttery toast, apples, nutty
Palette: oaky, apples, nice acidity, lemon zest
August 31, 2007 - Same as before.... this is superlative Cali chardonnay. But those of you who own it and get these TNs showing up on your home page already know that. I love our Auberts and Kistlers, but man o man this is as good and at half the price.... now that's what I call QPR!
July 10, 2007 - I opened this as a test of Chasseur Chard, to see if I wanted to sign on to the Chard club like I did for the Pinot after sampling an 05 S. Coast. What a crock of rationalization that is! I should have left well enough alone, as this is still a bit tight and should get better with a year or three more of bottle age, maybe more. And the club? Sign me up. This wine is the schnizzle.
Citrus oil, nuts, stones, coconut, and stone fruits are all apparent in this concentrated beast of a Chardonnay. The oak is just a bit too forward for me at this point, but it isn't buttery or sloppy. The quality of fruit, balance and healthy dollop of young-oak spice remind me of the 04 Kistler's I have tried (alas, not the Durrell) but this is the more complete package right now. This is just my first glass... yum.
February 18, 2007 - Absolutely wonderful from start to finish
January 8, 2007 - Wow! Or as our daughter would say, "Wowie Zowie!" This is simply extraordinary, especially for the price point. Hazy gold-green in color, this wine has a completely captivating nose of fresh bread / brioche, hazelnut, green apple, peach and white flowers. The palate is full-bodied and captivatingly full, with tastes that follow through on the nose: yummy fruit, oak that works in a perfectly balanced setting to lend the lower, nut-oil and vanilla tones, and seamless acidity that gives the wine lift and cleaness. A terrific finsh as well. This is just about as good as any California chard I've had; it is different only in individual style, not in quality. A real winner. Bravo!
December 29, 2006 - From memory: outstanding. Light golden color, slightly hazy. Really wonderfully complex flavors -- vanilla, trop fruits, nuts, the whole shebang. Buying more...