(From magnum) Outstanding, like a grand cru chablis -- Vaudesir? Rich, mineral, good acidity, long. I'd rank this as one of the best American white wines I've tried. Possibly could use a bit more acidity for long-term aging; think it is nearly peak now.
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Still crisp and elegant. One of the better aged California Chardonnays I've had in the past several years. Stony minerality, some honeyed lemon and a whiff of oak. Really terrific stuff.
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Sweet citrus with slight SO2 on the nose. Yeast, lemon, no butter, low acid, slight bite but low acid, no noticeable oak. Totally integrated with a smooth mid palate finish lingering. Thoroughly enjoyable in a Chablis like style, clearly from an earlier pick, cool weather vineyard. Just my style with no noticeable intervention or excess lees stirring. This has years left (drink now to maybe 2027) but I don’t see the harm in drinking sooner. Beautiful.
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Not my favorite Ceritas Porter-Bass chardonnay. I've been trying each vintage about seven or eight years from vintage, and this one just seemed a bit broad and rich, while I found the 2007 and 2008 to very fresh and vibrant. Nothing wrong with the wine, just not up to my expectations based on prior (limited) experience. Not sure whether it's simply vintage variation, or that this was not in a good phase.
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This was my OG Ceritas, first bottle I ever ordered and the first one I drank that led to a much larger investment in their wine. Drinking beautifully now - not sure it will evolve more with time though there's definitely no rush to drink this. Just as impressive as the first time I had it.
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This had an interesting evolution in the glass. Relatively delicate, acidity was pronounced. Fruit got better after half an hour, but never achieved greatness. A very solid, nice wine, but not as good as some I've had from them.
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A mellow very well balanced wine but low key in all aspects. Our meal was probably too seasoned for the wine to show its' stuff. I will drink the next bottles with more mild food. Not nearly as intense fruit as some PB we've had.
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I chosethis bottle amongst the complete line up of Ceritas chards back to 07 because I recalled drinking it at the winery and thinking it didn't have the longevity I saw in the others. Wrong. This is singing now with a very enjoyable light style, low oak, slight acid, citrus, no butter, and cut. This is just perfect by itself or with oysters or cheese course. It has at least 5-7 years more with maybe some improvement or at least not declining. Beautiful effort. You won't regret opening one of these.
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Popped and poured. Linear and focused with lemony notes. High acid.
After two hours in fridge, aromas blossomed. Just a truly wonderful chard. Rounder, tropical notes and gorgeous mouthfeel. Acid subdued but plentiful. Honestly as good a chard as I've ever had.
Just one bottle left.
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Sadly, they'll never last (in my cellar) until they peak. Delicious citrusy notes with minerality, acidity and long finish. Touch viscous as noted by others.
Green apple notes as well. Really really nice. Can't say enough about Ceritas Chards.
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An odd bottle on several accounts. Firstly, I didn't join the list or start buying until the '10 vintage, so it's a complete mystery to me how an '09 ended up on the rack in my cellar. Secondly, although exhibiting the perfect balance I love in all of John's & Phoebe's wines, this was more fleshy and showing more oak than other vintages and vineyards. Thirdly, my wife loved this although she's typically quite oak-adverse. Lots of citrus, apple, floral notes, vanilla; gorgeous viscous glycerin-like mouthfeel with just the right amount of acidic cut. This was perfect as an aperitif, then dovetailed flawlessly into the meal of oysters, fresh halibut, fresh king salmon, abalone and more. Followed it with an '07 Copain En Bas Pinot. A wonderful domestic wine night for this Francophile.
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Rich apple and pear on nose, repeating on palate with richer honey and tropical fruit in the background. Good balance and acidity, complementing rich shellfish dinner.
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the white wine of the weekend and another very strong showing. Loads of cut and acidity, fresh lemon fruit with all the extract you want on the palate. Super good.
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Popped and poured to catch the sunset. Pale white gold color. Nose of persimmon, apple, lime, grapefruit, white stones, spring rain. Potent and fresh on the palate, laden with primary citrus, white peach, and applecore flavors covered with almost electric acidity. Tart, stony structure underneath. Minerals and iron (if that's possible) on the long, ringing finish. Very young, almost unformed, but making a huge statement tonight.
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Yellow apple and lime here, consistent with the 2011s that preceded it. And, whatever you might make of my comment to follow, my notes say "apple sauce". Never jotted that descriptor down before but if the experience strikes me, in the narrative of the sensory, this is what I felt from this wine. Glossy in texture, with honeyed edges and lemon peel. Aging well and really enjoyed this.
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Light honey gold in color, this has plenty of depth and intensity, but retains elegance and lightness at the same time; deep stone fruit to start, then a dash of dried pineapple sweetness, some lemon rind, medium acidity, and a refined, airy finish. Very nice, though perhaps a vintage to drink on the earlier side.
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It is light colored with a pleasant lemon-chalkiness, and it is very light on its feet; t gains great complexity and sweetness on the nose and should drink well for a few more years. This is a pleasantly deft and fleet-footed wine.
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I appreciate the restraint here, although currently there is a bit of oak, maybe even new oak, showing, which I believe will integrate with time. This has breed and class, but it needs a year or two to come together better. Solid fruit, respectable acidity, good minerality . . . but at times a touch tropical, and in need of more time to absorb the oak more. Impressive raw materials, impressive restraint, has the potential to be really good. Don't open until 2015.
Purchased at our visit with the winemaker in 2011, and opened with Randy at our house.
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Fantastic Chardonnay with interesting nose and flavor that I can only describe as malted grains or toasted nuts, with plenty of acidity to be delicious with food. Very good!
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Decanted two hours prior to meal. Deep golden honey color and medium body opens to lemon zest, minerals and honey. Palate initially led with concentrated citrus, minerals and lip smacking acid with light honey notes and herbs. Quite tasty.
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A mineral-driven wine that is powerful, balanced, and slightly creamy. Less fruit-driven compared to the 2008 bottling; both vintages are great, but the characteristics differ.
Lemon peel would be a good way to describe the wine, with a nutty/creamy back-end presumably from oak. There is a lot going on here.
A wonderful wine that I may be scoring too low.
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Bdx and Pizza (1201 Avenue B): Another ’09 and another impressive chardonnay from Ceritas. Great complexity with a light feeling that glides across the palate. Shows some lemon zest, rounded ripe golden fruit fruit, and touch of creamy oak. Lengthy finish that really holds on and shows a stony quality. Great depth and complexity without heaviness or over concentration. Very impressive balance. Great chard.
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Similar notes to last. But more balanced by my recollection. More ready to go. Same lemony, citrusy notes and acid. Energetic. Powerful. Just delicious.
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This may be our favorite California Chardonnay of the year. Not to be cliche- but this was very Burgundy like. Crisp vivid lemon flavors, zingy minerality on finish. Just a whisper of oak on the finish. This has a lot of energy.
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Super balance. Very complex but never heavy. A very unique wine. It has many of the characteristics of a chablis and with many of the flavor profiles in some California Chards. A great range of flavors that iseemless.
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Wow. Greenish hue. Super high acid. Do not open this if you want a stereotypical oaky cali Chard. This is not your wine. Lemon, lemon curd and floral notes. Needs food and time to shine.
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While plainly a wine which will benefit from at least a few years sideways, this is already excellent and a joy to drink. Lemon, yes, and minerals (but it's a closer cousin to some more southerly white Burg than to Chablis), and a nice sharp acidity, spiciness, and bit of grapefruit zest and pith bitterness which all contrasts beautifully with a fairly rich texture. One guest, surprised this was a CA chard, asked, "unoaked?" It emphatically did not have that overoaked butterscotch thing; but I think the oak was prominent nonetheless, showing up here instead as spice - which I experienced as exciting and which seems to bode well for interesting evolution as it integrates. My favorite CA chard to date.
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Not as open for business as the '08 version was at this stage. It did open up a little on the second night. An excellent, exciting Chardonnay in a style I very much enjoy. There is upside to this bottle (maybe in a year or so), but at this stage I prefer the Ritchie from this vintage.
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Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs - Double Blind- Guests Christine Bruce & John Hilliard; 1/24/2012-1/25/2012 (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): - Light gold color with medium forming legs and aromas of lemon and geranium. It's balanced and has flavours of lemon with a medium body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - My wine. I brought it to vie w Christine(Bruce) and John(Hilliard's) Santa Rita Hills 09 Chard, as I loved it last month and has an avg CT rating of 93 points. Side by side it was no match, the Hilliard Bruce was infinitely better.
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Maybe this is in an odd place aa I have had the aame expeeiwence with Aubert. There was a veey nice, fresh taste to the fruit, not heavy but not steely. Then wham a mouthful of oak that has not integrated at all. Perhaps this needs to sit down for a while and come together. Amyone have any idea how long these will take?
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KW Tasting Group New Years Eve Dinner (Greg's House): Popped an poured. Nose of flowers, crushed stones and lemon zest. As it warms, the oak treatment becomes more apparent with butterscotch, and tropical fruit. On the palate, incredibly balanced, with notes of lemon, wet stones. The lengthy finished is rounded out with a slight bitterness and strong counter balancing acidity. If opening now, make sure to not let this warm too much.
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This is undoubtedly one of the finest California chardonnays I've tried. Beautiful white fruit and flowers on the nose, with a nice dose of lovely lemon chiffon and cream. The structure and balance are impeccable, the racy, crisp fruit coating the palate with a soft lemony creaminess. Flat out terrific!
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Very citrusy and minerally immediately after opening - almost Chablis-like. With some air, some ripe stone fruit and oak become more noticeable, with a rounder, richer mouthfeel. Lots of lemon, ripe nectarine, and spicy oak. Amazing minerality and acidity. Needs time to integrate further - I'm probably not going to open another for 2 or 3 years. This is a great wine right now, however, and will be outstanding with proper cellaring.
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Smooth honey and lemons on a mid weight body. Elegant - giving the sense that it will continure to improve over many years and always tasting great along the way. Wife loved it.
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Perfectly paired with a Tagliarini al Limone, the chardonnay from Ceritas was a total home run. Wonderfullly lightly buttered feel in the mouth combined with a hint of lemon. Beautiful in the glass and a pleasure to drink.
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It's been a long time since I've drunk a domestic chardonnay, and I'm not totally sure how to react to this. It's the first bottle of this relatively new, highly thought of producer's wine I've purchased and consumed. I'll say that there is no mistaking this for a white Burgundy, but it had decent acid framing a fairly lush, rich mouth feel. Maybe a bit too tropical and ripe for me, but I liked it nonetheless.
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Ceritas and Halcon Wine dinner, March 30, 2011 (Camino Restaurant, Oakland): Tasted alongside the 09 Ritchie, this is more focused and chiseled to the Ritchie's more round and voluptuous character; tremendous depth, some enticing minerality, and a touch of lemon on the long finish. A fabulous Chardonnay, in the top tier of what California can produce.
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4/23/2022 - davudvl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lemon peel and citrus with some well integrated oak. Consistently good.
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4/1/2022 - davudvl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent ! Nose of pears and apples. Well integrated fruit with zesty acidity. Will buy again.
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2/25/2022 - davudvl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice and rich. Nose of apples. Great acidity. Medium finish. Almost as good as Auteur.
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5/30/2020 - xwine wrote:
I didn’t take any notes, but this was much better than the last bottle a few years ago. Very, very nice.
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7/12/2019 - ccn wrote: 92 Points
(From magnum) Outstanding, like a grand cru chablis -- Vaudesir? Rich, mineral, good acidity, long. I'd rank this as one of the best American white wines I've tried. Possibly could use a bit more acidity for long-term aging; think it is nearly peak now.
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8/3/2018 - dougie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Chablis like at start. Became more full and richer during 5 hours. Mouth watering.
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4/12/2018 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Still crisp and elegant. One of the better aged California Chardonnays I've had in the past several years. Stony minerality, some honeyed lemon and a whiff of oak. Really terrific stuff.
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11/20/2017 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sweet citrus with slight SO2 on the nose. Yeast, lemon, no butter, low acid, slight bite but low acid, no noticeable oak. Totally integrated with a smooth mid palate finish lingering. Thoroughly enjoyable in a Chablis like style, clearly from an earlier pick, cool weather vineyard. Just my style with no noticeable intervention or excess lees stirring. This has years left (drink now to maybe 2027) but I don’t see the harm in drinking sooner. Beautiful.
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4/8/2017 - ljl203 wrote:
Buttered grapefruit
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3/29/2017 - xwine wrote:
Not my favorite Ceritas Porter-Bass chardonnay. I've been trying each vintage about seven or eight years from vintage, and this one just seemed a bit broad and rich, while I found the 2007 and 2008 to very fresh and vibrant. Nothing wrong with the wine, just not up to my expectations based on prior (limited) experience. Not sure whether it's simply vintage variation, or that this was not in a good phase.
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8/12/2016 - texaswinelover wrote:
Beautiful wine. Minimal Integrated oak, super clean fresh focused fruit. Delightful.
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8/11/2016 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
wine of the night at the WFFT auction mtg. Striking citrus and pineapple notes, full and rich - worth seeking out.
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8/7/2015 - jrkennedy37 wrote:
This was my OG Ceritas, first bottle I ever ordered and the first one I drank that led to a much larger investment in their wine. Drinking beautifully now - not sure it will evolve more with time though there's definitely no rush to drink this. Just as impressive as the first time I had it.
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5/31/2015 - kenthargis wrote: 89 Points
This had an interesting evolution in the glass. Relatively delicate, acidity was pronounced. Fruit got better after half an hour, but never achieved greatness. A very solid, nice wine, but not as good as some I've had from them.
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5/22/2015 - cartime Likes this wine:
Ready now.
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2/8/2015 - B Paul wrote: 91 Points
I think this is ready to drink. Not the best Ceritas I've had but good nevertheless.
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1/15/2015 - ruchottalex wrote: 91 Points
This feels ready to drink now... Or in the next year or so. Still reasonable amount of acid, citrus fruits. Just starting to mellow.
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1/14/2015 - pismo45 wrote: 90 Points
A mellow very well balanced wine but low key in all aspects. Our meal was probably too seasoned for the wine to show its' stuff. I will drink the next bottles with more mild food. Not nearly as intense fruit as some PB we've had.
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12/13/2014 - jlgnml Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Flat, shallow, ????
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12/6/2014 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 96 Points
I chosethis bottle amongst the complete line up of Ceritas chards back to 07 because I recalled drinking it at the winery and thinking it didn't have the longevity I saw in the others. Wrong. This is singing now with a very enjoyable light style, low oak, slight acid, citrus, no butter, and cut. This is just perfect by itself or with oysters or cheese course. It has at least 5-7 years more with maybe some improvement or at least not declining. Beautiful effort. You won't regret opening one of these.
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9/7/2014 - texaswinelover wrote: 94 Points
Just beautiful.
Popped and poured. Linear and focused with lemony notes. High acid.
After two hours in fridge, aromas blossomed. Just a truly wonderful chard. Rounder, tropical notes and gorgeous mouthfeel. Acid subdued but plentiful. Honestly as good a chard as I've ever had.
Just one bottle left.
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5/24/2014 - texaswinelover wrote: 93 Points
Just love these.
Sadly, they'll never last (in my cellar) until they peak. Delicious citrusy notes with minerality, acidity and long finish. Touch viscous as noted by others.
Green apple notes as well. Really really nice. Can't say enough about Ceritas Chards.
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4/11/2014 - WST wrote: 93 Points
An odd bottle on several accounts. Firstly, I didn't join the list or start buying until the '10 vintage, so it's a complete mystery to me how an '09 ended up on the rack in my cellar. Secondly, although exhibiting the perfect balance I love in all of John's & Phoebe's wines, this was more fleshy and showing more oak than other vintages and vineyards. Thirdly, my wife loved this although she's typically quite oak-adverse.
Lots of citrus, apple, floral notes, vanilla; gorgeous viscous glycerin-like mouthfeel with just the right amount of acidic cut. This was perfect as an aperitif, then dovetailed flawlessly into the meal of oysters, fresh halibut, fresh king salmon, abalone and more. Followed it with an '07 Copain En Bas Pinot. A wonderful domestic wine night for this Francophile.
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12/24/2013 - dgriffin3480 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich apple and pear on nose, repeating on palate with richer honey and tropical fruit in the background. Good balance and acidity, complementing rich shellfish dinner.
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8/22/2013 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not over the top. No oak, refreshing and very young. Good fruit and good balance.
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8/10/2013 - texaswinelover wrote: 94 Points
Really enjoyed. Minerally, almost salty with tart citrus core. Acidity has smoothed but generous. Can't believe I've already drank 3.
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7/28/2013 - ljl203 wrote:
Pineapple and ginger over a stony core. Very enjoyable.
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7/3/2013 - rjoyer wrote:
the white wine of the weekend and another very strong showing. Loads of cut and acidity, fresh lemon fruit with all the extract you want on the palate. Super good.
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6/16/2013 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured to catch the sunset. Pale white gold color. Nose of persimmon, apple, lime, grapefruit, white stones, spring rain. Potent and fresh on the palate, laden with primary citrus, white peach, and applecore flavors covered with almost electric acidity. Tart, stony structure underneath. Minerals and iron (if that's possible) on the long, ringing finish. Very young, almost unformed, but making a huge statement tonight.
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4/7/2013 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Yellow apple and lime here, consistent with the 2011s that preceded it. And, whatever you might make of my comment to follow, my notes say "apple sauce". Never jotted that descriptor down before but if the experience strikes me, in the narrative of the sensory, this is what I felt from this wine. Glossy in texture, with honeyed edges and lemon peel. Aging well and really enjoyed this.
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4/6/2013 - dougie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had to drink with mike. He was blown away by the elegance, flavors and Burgundian finish. Ceritas continues to amaze.
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1/28/2013 - alanr wrote: 92 Points
Light honey gold in color, this has plenty of depth and intensity, but retains elegance and lightness at the same time; deep stone fruit to start, then a dash of dried pineapple sweetness, some lemon rind, medium acidity, and a refined, airy finish. Very nice, though perhaps a vintage to drink on the earlier side.
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1/27/2013 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
SF Wineberserkers Offline (BerserkerDay) (San Francisco, CA): Nice citrus, oily; medium bodied, fresh, very nice, fresh, food friendly. 91
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1/15/2013 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 90 Points
It is light colored with a pleasant lemon-chalkiness, and it is very light on its feet; t gains great complexity and sweetness on the nose and should drink well for a few more years. This is a pleasantly deft and fleet-footed wine.
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12/16/2012 - Pknut wrote:
I appreciate the restraint here, although currently there is a bit of oak, maybe even new oak, showing, which I believe will integrate with time. This has breed and class, but it needs a year or two to come together better. Solid fruit, respectable acidity, good minerality . . . but at times a touch tropical, and in need of more time to absorb the oak more. Impressive raw materials, impressive restraint, has the potential to be really good. Don't open until 2015.
Purchased at our visit with the winemaker in 2011, and opened with Randy at our house.
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12/10/2012 - zheem Likes this wine:
Fantastic Chardonnay with interesting nose and flavor that I can only describe as malted grains or toasted nuts, with plenty of acidity to be delicious with food. Very good!
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11/4/2012 - dgriffin3480 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted two hours prior to meal. Deep golden honey color and medium body opens to lemon zest, minerals and honey. Palate initially led with concentrated citrus, minerals and lip smacking acid with light honey notes and herbs. Quite tasty.
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8/14/2012 - B Paul wrote: 92 Points
Similar to previous bottle, but drinking a touch better.
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8/6/2012 - DuaneT wrote: 94 Points
A mineral-driven wine that is powerful, balanced, and slightly creamy. Less fruit-driven compared to the 2008 bottling; both vintages are great, but the characteristics differ.
Lemon peel would be a good way to describe the wine, with a nutty/creamy back-end presumably from oak. There is a lot going on here.
A wonderful wine that I may be scoring too low.
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7/17/2012 - ljl203 wrote: 93 Points
Lemon pear marzipan notes, seamless and lively with almonds, toasted vanilla at the back. Delicious.
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7/15/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 94 Points
Bdx and Pizza (1201 Avenue B): Another ’09 and another impressive chardonnay from Ceritas. Great complexity with a light feeling that glides across the palate. Shows some lemon zest, rounded ripe golden fruit fruit, and touch of creamy oak. Lengthy finish that really holds on and shows a stony quality. Great depth and complexity without heaviness or over concentration. Very impressive balance. Great chard.
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7/15/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 94 Points
Similar notes to last. But more balanced by my recollection. More ready to go. Same lemony, citrusy notes and acid. Energetic. Powerful. Just delicious.
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7/5/2012 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 94 Points
This may be our favorite California Chardonnay of the year. Not to be cliche- but this was very Burgundy like. Crisp vivid lemon flavors, zingy minerality on finish. Just a whisper of oak on the finish. This has a lot of energy.
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5/18/2012 - dougie wrote: 94 Points
Super balance. Very complex but never heavy. A very unique wine. It has many of the characteristics of a chablis and with many of the flavor profiles in some California Chards. A great range of flavors that iseemless.
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4/17/2012 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
(Tasted Blind) Citrus, lightly oaked, slightly buttery, initally reserved nose. Nice palate, moderate length finish. Great acidity. Balanced overall. Finishes quite long compared to everything else in this tasting. Gorgeous mouthfeel in excellent balance.
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4/15/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 92 Points
Wow. Greenish hue. Super high acid. Do not open this if you want a stereotypical oaky cali Chard. This is not your wine. Lemon, lemon curd and floral notes. Needs food and time to shine.
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4/14/2012 - Charlie Pendejo wrote: 92 Points
While plainly a wine which will benefit from at least a few years sideways, this is already excellent and a joy to drink. Lemon, yes, and minerals (but it's a closer cousin to some more southerly white Burg than to Chablis), and a nice sharp acidity, spiciness, and bit of grapefruit zest and pith bitterness which all contrasts beautifully with a fairly rich texture. One guest, surprised this was a CA chard, asked, "unoaked?" It emphatically did not have that overoaked butterscotch thing; but I think the oak was prominent nonetheless, showing up here instead as spice - which I experienced as exciting and which seems to bode well for interesting evolution as it integrates. My favorite CA chard to date.
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4/3/2012 - etherscreen wrote:
delicious, but will be rewarded by more time in the bottle.
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3/2/2012 - B Paul wrote: 91 Points
Not as open for business as the '08 version was at this stage. It did open up a little on the second night. An excellent, exciting Chardonnay in a style I very much enjoy. There is upside to this bottle (maybe in a year or so), but at this stage I prefer the Ritchie from this vintage.
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1/25/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs - Double Blind- Guests Christine Bruce & John Hilliard; 1/24/2012-1/25/2012 (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): - Light gold color with medium forming legs and aromas of lemon and geranium. It's balanced and has flavours of lemon with a medium body. Juicy texture with a medium finish - My wine. I brought it to vie w Christine(Bruce) and John(Hilliard's) Santa Rita Hills 09 Chard, as I loved it last month and has an avg CT rating of 93 points. Side by side it was no match, the Hilliard Bruce was infinitely better.
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1/21/2012 - Stumpy wrote: 88 Points
Maybe this is in an odd place aa I have had the aame expeeiwence with Aubert. There was a veey nice, fresh taste to the fruit, not heavy but not steely. Then wham a mouthful of oak that has not integrated at all. Perhaps this needs to sit down for a while and come together. Amyone have any idea how long these will take?
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1/2/2012 - alittle wrote: 93 Points
KW Tasting Group New Years Eve Dinner (Greg's House): Popped an poured. Nose of flowers, crushed stones and lemon zest. As it warms, the oak treatment becomes more apparent with butterscotch, and tropical fruit. On the palate, incredibly balanced, with notes of lemon, wet stones. The lengthy finished is rounded out with a slight bitterness and strong counter balancing acidity. If opening now, make sure to not let this warm too much.
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12/31/2011 - jimkay21 wrote: 91 Points
Bright fruit flavors, good balance, no oak, disappointing nose. Miss the minerality a Chablis brings. May wait a bit on the remaining bottles.
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12/31/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 92 Points
Fresh floral and soap notes on the nose, apple, lemon, stone and light oak on the palate, medium to long finish. Really fine.
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12/29/2011 - xwine wrote:
This is undoubtedly one of the finest California chardonnays I've tried. Beautiful white fruit and flowers on the nose, with a nice dose of lovely lemon chiffon and cream. The structure and balance are impeccable, the racy, crisp fruit coating the palate with a soft lemony creaminess. Flat out terrific!
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12/22/2011 - cartime wrote: 93 Points
Very citrusy and minerally immediately after opening - almost Chablis-like. With some air, some ripe stone fruit and oak become more noticeable, with a rounder, richer mouthfeel. Lots of lemon, ripe nectarine, and spicy oak. Amazing minerality and acidity. Needs time to integrate further - I'm probably not going to open another for 2 or 3 years. This is a great wine right now, however, and will be outstanding with proper cellaring.
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12/11/2011 - pismo45 wrote: 93 Points
Smooth honey and lemons on a mid weight body. Elegant - giving the sense that it will continure to improve over many years and always tasting great along the way. Wife loved it.
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12/9/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
An exceptional Chard. Zesty lemon, w brilliant acidity. Can only get better. World Class!
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11/27/2011 - russdan60 wrote: 94 Points
Perfectly paired with a Tagliarini al Limone, the chardonnay from Ceritas was a total home run. Wonderfullly lightly buttered feel in the mouth combined with a hint of lemon. Beautiful in the glass and a pleasure to drink.
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11/9/2011 - Chuck Miller wrote:
It's been a long time since I've drunk a domestic chardonnay, and I'm not totally sure how to react to this. It's the first bottle of this relatively new, highly thought of producer's wine I've purchased and consumed. I'll say that there is no mistaking this for a white Burgundy, but it had decent acid framing a fairly lush, rich mouth feel. Maybe a bit too tropical and ripe for me, but I liked it nonetheless.
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4/4/2011 - alanr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ceritas and Halcon Wine dinner, March 30, 2011 (Camino Restaurant, Oakland): Tasted alongside the 09 Ritchie, this is more focused and chiseled to the Ritchie's more round and voluptuous character; tremendous depth, some enticing minerality, and a touch of lemon on the long finish. A fabulous Chardonnay, in the top tier of what California can produce.
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