Community Tasting Notes 42

• ricard Likes this wine: 95 points

  July 31, 2019 - A stunning, stunning wine. I took a punt with the age - now 11 years, and it was absolutely the right decision. This is an *outstanding* Russian River Chardonnay. Exquisitely poised fragrance of apricots, peaches, melon, fresh cream, honeysuckle. Sublimely delicate. Wonderful density - weighty but not voluptuous, fresh but not sharp. Deliciously lip-smacking length. This is a wine of considerable seriousness and dazzling elegance. Age has made it better - more complex, more exciting, more memorable. It still has the residual sugar, acidity and body to continue evolving pleasurably for another decade. A stunning, delicious wine.

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• PJohnsn wrote: 91 points

  November 22, 2017 - Pleasant minerally nose, very smooth palate and finish with lingering lemon notes

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• AllRed wrote: 92 points

  April 26, 2017 - Anniversary Dinner with Friends (Anvil Club, East Dundee): Light in color and lacking the over-the-top oak I've found in a few older Hansels. Apple and citrus with mere hints of butterscotch. Apple and caramelized fig flavors lingering in the finish. Excellent, in a richer style.

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• Vinnut Likes this wine: 91 points

  October 20, 2016 - Second notes on this wine from about 2 years prior. Medium-light golden yellow in color. Forward, attractive & fragrant nose of complex, ripe fruit aromas of apples, pears & citrus notes of lemons/limes with overtones of floral notes of honeysuckle & minerals/stony, some butterscotch notes, spices & some toasty oak in the background. Medium-full bodied with a good concentration of balanced & smooth texture, complex, ripe flavors of apples, pears & lemons/limes with some butterscotch, honey, spices, stony, minerals, toasty oak & a slight touch of vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present & may be close to or at the peak of its development. I doubt it would develop any further, so drink up!

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• Farnelicous Likes this wine: 92 points

  June 25, 2016 - Fruit is mellowing -- still pear, apple, and citrus. I do drink a little cooler in the summer, 45-50 versus 55 degrees -- which mellows fruit.
  Lots of mineral notes. Oak mellow. Obsolutely excellent structure. Still extremely creamy in mouth and very smooth finish.

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Pro Reviews 2

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2008
• Type White
• Producer Walter Hansel Winery
• Varietal Chardonnay
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard The North Slope Vineyard
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Sonoma County
• Appellation Russian River Valley

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 2 (0%)
• In Cellars 112 (20%)
• Consumed 447 (80%)

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