Similar notes as previous tasting. Yellow-gold color. Peaches, apples, tropical fruits and a hint of minerality in the nose. Citrus in the flavor. Nice structure and acidity. Well balanced, medium to full bodied, and a medium to long finish. 92
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Yellow color. Peaches, apples, tropical fruits and a hint of minerality in the nose. Citrus in the flavor. Nice structure and acidity. A well balanced wine, full bodied, and a medium to long finish. 92-93
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Popped, poured, consumed over next two hours. This has developed spectacularly well. Everything is finely knit and harmonious. Still retains the refreshing acidity of youth, but also shows the complicating notes that come with bottle age. Lovely.
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A bit of oak on nose upon opening ahead of dinner, this blew off. Pretty aromas of lemon curd, russet apple, honeycomb, and seashell. Midweight palate, ripe, but not blowsy, oak deftly knit, good freshness and acidity, nice bit of phenolic bitterness on the long finish. Mature and truly delicious. Plenty left in the tank. Fine bottle. Like this a lot.
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Nose: Somewhat muted aromas of faint lemon. Palate: Quite mature with all acidity integrated with the fruit yet the latter is still present. Soft lemon qualities and still the subtle petrol like minerality of the previous bottles (last notes on 3/27/17). Drinking very well this wine is now at it's apex (or slightly past peak depending on one's definition). Drink up now if you have any. Still 92+ points.
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Cellar diminishment party - brief note. Courtesy of tlv. Were it not for the Ridge Monte Bello, this would have been the Chardonnay of the night. Wonderful rich fruit with a lengthy finish.
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Popped and poured. This is a light gold wine with a nose of honeycomb and spring flowers. In the mouth, this has good acid and structure, all leaving a finish marked by a bit of wax or lanolin. Overall, this is a focused and very reasonable Chard (avoiding all of the things that too often get the varietal off track). It's a refreshing wine that exceeds the price tag. 90 points.
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Last notes on 4/15/15. Still the same petrol like qualities on the nose. With 2 years sideways the acids have folded in nicely but are still present. Good balance of minerality, pineapple, and lengthy finish. 92+ points.
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Lots of honeysuckle with tropical fruits like mango and pineapple. Very nice minerality and superb balance. Very enjoyable. I think this Chardonnay that straddles the line between old world and new world style should last several more years.
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Consistent with prior notes:"Medium gold color. Nose of citrus, candied pineapple, smoke and some earth notes. Palate was citrus, lemon zest, pear, fig, toasted oak. Nice mouthfeel - medium finish.."
A bit leaner than I remember the last bottle but still nice weight in a more restrained CA style
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At home pre dinner, pulled this one for Val as our other guests were non Chardonnay drinkers
Medium gold color. Nose of citrus, candied pineapple, smoke and some earth notes. Palate was citrus, lemon zest, pear, fig, toasted oak. Nice mouthfeel - medium finish..
Very nicely made Chardonnay - complex and in a good spot now. should hold at this level, would drink over next 3 years.
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About 12 months ago this was too light and acidic for my taste. Enjoyed this bottle much more--it had more weight and less acidity. Especially appreciated that this wine, like Varner wines generally, was less sweet than many CA Chardonnays. A little disjointed on opening, but really came together after 30 minutes.
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Might just be a bad bottle, but the excitement of the previous bottles seems missing. This is still very good wine, but it's just not as full and present in the mouth. It seems more like an entry level white Burgundy.
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Not even a month since I last tasted the wine. I guess I did not comply with my last comment about the wine probably needing some more time to be fully appreciated. The wine has not changed: see comment made 9/10/2015.
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I get apple, pear, lemon, obvious minerals, and serene, but noticeable, toasty French oak. Burgundian-like on the nose and in the mouth. Great structure and good balance. A pretty good wine now, but probably needs a little more time to be fully appreciated. Je reçois pomme, de poire, de citron, de minéraux évidentes, et serein, mais perceptible, grillé de chêne français. Bourguignon comme sur le nez et dans la bouche. Grande structure et un bon équilibre. Une jolie bon vin maintenant, mais probablement besoin d'un peu plus de temps pour être pleinement apprécié.
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The nose is quite luscious with earth tones, pineapple and lychee. The palate is interesting, with a very bright tannic backbone that carries pineapple, lychee, minerals and a slight touch of citrus. Let this warm in the glass a little and the aromas become much more clear and the mouthfeel thickens and becomes more complex.
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Nose: Toasty, earthy aromas w/ traces of petrol and pineapple. Very cool nose. Palate: Highly complex w/ pineapples, fig, lychee, minerals and very subtle petrol qualities that are not detractive, but unique. The richness is unreal and viscous, yet with a firm spine of acid along with the mineral and pineapple notes, has plenty of lift for contrast. Just a fantastic effort from the Varner brothers!
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Impressive! Light gold, day bright. Lemon, honey and chalk on nose with a very faint trace of butter as it warms in the glass. Med+ acid, lemon, lime fresh cut white flowers and grapefruit with crushed rocks on palate. Loooong precise finish. The thing about this wine is that it just gets better and better as you get to the bottom of the bottle. Great expression of Chardonnay! Can't believe more people don't plant grapes around the Varner brothers after drinking this wine. Worth every penny - share it with a Burgundy drinker.
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A delicious wine, the 2011 Bee Block from Varner tastes like a top-flight Puligny Montrachet. Aromas of yellow stone fruits, minerals and honeysuckle emerge from the glass, followed by an impressively textured and authoritative palate impression, laden with minerals. All that is married with a modest 13.2% alcohol.
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Liquid Farm / Chard Double Blind- Dallas (Classic Wine Storage- Dallas): Wine #12 in a line up of 15 blind chards (preceded by Sandhi Sanford & Benedict 2010. Very interesting nose that I had a hard time putting into words. My first thought was that someone brought a non-chard wine as it seems to have some rousanne and marsanne elements to it. I did pick up some vanilla along with a combination of floral and honey. On the palate it was similar with the addition of tart apples. It had a medium length finish that also included some spice. Medium acidity. I think this wine needs a few to several more years. Even though I only had 1-1.5 oz of it and only had it in my glass for 15 minutes or so, it seems to change quite a bit. 90-92
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Clean and sleek texture, with excellent minerality and balanced acidity. Flavors are subtle, tending to a bit of apple/pear, a little citrus, and maybe some white flowers. Overall, very Burgundian. Varner continues to impress.
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Just a wonderful expression of Chardonnay. Only expect this to get better, but as of now needs 2 or so hours to settle down. There is so much pure fruit here. Nose, palate, finish are all there but nothing over the top.
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Popped and poured with rotisserie chicken. Aroma is a bit of vanilla with some baking spices such as nutmeg & allspice. Taste has lemon right upfront, but not too acidic.
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This is my favorite Varner Chardonnay to date, which is saying something. It is the most precise and mineral, marrying intensity with a sensation of weightlessness, wonderful seamless balance, followed by a lingering succulent finish.
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Tasted from barrel with Bob Varner. Stunning from the first moment, and continued to gain complexity and brightness with just a few minutes of airtime. A dead-ringer for Grand Cru Burg at this point, this was my favorite of the three single-vineyard efforts. Apples, pears, mango, citrus and white floral combine to create a powerful, captivating nose. The alcohol levels on all the Chardonnay are under 13,0- 13,5% IIRC, which adds to the mind's confusion here, how so much can be packed into a very conservative frame. A sweeping mid-palate that caresses with its bold, but tightly packed white fruits. I will seek this out upon release. A perfect example that some exceptional wine can be made in even the most challenging of vintages. highly recommended
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12/29/2023 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar notes as previous tasting. Yellow-gold color. Peaches, apples, tropical fruits and a hint of minerality in the nose. Citrus in the flavor. Nice structure and acidity. Well balanced, medium to full bodied, and a medium to long finish. 92
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8/9/2023 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yellow color. Peaches, apples, tropical fruits and a hint of minerality in the nose. Citrus in the flavor. Nice structure and acidity. A well balanced wine, full bodied, and a medium to long finish. 92-93
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4/6/2022 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Popped, poured, consumed over next two hours. This has developed spectacularly well. Everything is finely knit and harmonious. Still retains the refreshing acidity of youth, but also shows the complicating notes that come with bottle age. Lovely.
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1/26/2022 - JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine:
A bit of oak on nose upon opening ahead of dinner, this blew off. Pretty aromas of lemon curd, russet apple, honeycomb, and seashell. Midweight palate, ripe, but not blowsy, oak deftly knit, good freshness and acidity, nice bit of phenolic bitterness on the long finish. Mature and truly delicious. Plenty left in the tank. Fine bottle. Like this a lot.
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4/15/2020 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
solid, Burgundian, age-able price performer.
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8/28/2019 - bonedoc wrote:
Great value for ageable Burgundian style Chardonnay
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4/14/2019 - Mattshank wrote: 92 Points
Nose: Somewhat muted aromas of faint lemon. Palate: Quite mature with all acidity integrated with the fruit yet the latter is still present. Soft lemon qualities and still the subtle petrol like minerality of the previous bottles (last notes on 3/27/17). Drinking very well this wine is now at it's apex (or slightly past peak depending on one's definition). Drink up now if you have any. Still 92+ points.
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8/26/2017 - AllRed wrote: 94 Points
Cellar diminishment party - brief note. Courtesy of tlv. Were it not for the Ridge Monte Bello, this would have been the Chardonnay of the night. Wonderful rich fruit with a lengthy finish.
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4/29/2017 - whitmanlholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. This is a light gold wine with a nose of honeycomb and spring flowers. In the mouth, this has good acid and structure, all leaving a finish marked by a bit of wax or lanolin. Overall, this is a focused and very reasonable Chard (avoiding all of the things that too often get the varietal off track). It's a refreshing wine that exceeds the price tag. 90 points.
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3/27/2017 - Mattshank wrote: 92 Points
Last notes on 4/15/15. Still the same petrol like qualities on the nose. With 2 years sideways the acids have folded in nicely but are still present. Good balance of minerality, pineapple, and lengthy finish. 92+ points.
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3/19/2017 - aaronfeigin Likes this wine:
Lots of honeysuckle with tropical fruits like mango and pineapple. Very nice minerality and superb balance. Very enjoyable. I think this Chardonnay that straddles the line between old world and new world style should last several more years.
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11/1/2016 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
See my notes of 9-10-15. Good stuff.
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8/9/2016 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Distinctive, subtle, suave. Much more Burgundian than California at this stage. Very pleasing and very gone from our cellar.
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6/10/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
At home, with cheeses pre dinner Val/Suzy/Kathy
Consistent with prior notes:"Medium gold color. Nose of citrus, candied pineapple, smoke and some earth notes. Palate was citrus, lemon zest, pear, fig, toasted oak. Nice mouthfeel - medium finish.."
A bit leaner than I remember the last bottle but still nice weight in a more restrained CA style
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4/9/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
At home pre dinner, pulled this one for Val as our other guests were non Chardonnay drinkers
Medium gold color. Nose of citrus, candied pineapple, smoke and some earth notes. Palate was citrus, lemon zest, pear, fig, toasted oak. Nice mouthfeel - medium finish..
Very nicely made Chardonnay - complex and in a good spot now. should hold at this level, would drink over next 3 years.
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3/26/2016 - Red Sox Fan Likes this wine: 93 Points
About 12 months ago this was too light and acidic for my taste. Enjoyed this bottle much more--it had more weight and less acidity. Especially appreciated that this wine, like Varner wines generally, was less sweet than many CA Chardonnays. A little disjointed on opening, but really came together after 30 minutes.
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2/20/2016 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Took to a wine tasting get-together. See my notes of 9/10/2015.
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2/18/2016 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
I must like this wine - comsumed two in last week.
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2/6/2016 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice. A bit on the subtle, diminutive side for a California chard.
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1/23/2016 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 89 Points
Might just be a bad bottle, but the excitement of the previous bottles seems missing. This is still very good wine, but it's just not as full and present in the mouth. It seems more like an entry level white Burgundy.
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11/26/2015 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Took to friends house to celebrate Thanksgiving. Ditto my comments of 9/10/2015.
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11/8/2015 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice wine with excellent varietal character. Very pure with a bit of oakiness. Overall, this is a winner!
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10/4/2015 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Not even a month since I last tasted the wine. I guess I did not comply with my last comment about the wine probably needing some more time to be fully appreciated. The wine has not changed: see comment made 9/10/2015.
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9/10/2015 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
I get apple, pear, lemon, obvious minerals, and serene, but noticeable, toasty French oak. Burgundian-like on the nose and in the mouth. Great structure and good balance. A pretty good wine now, but probably needs a little more time to be fully appreciated.
Je reçois pomme, de poire, de citron, de minéraux évidentes, et serein, mais perceptible, grillé de chêne français. Bourguignon comme sur le nez et dans la bouche. Grande structure et un bon équilibre. Une jolie bon vin maintenant, mais probablement besoin d'un peu plus de temps pour être pleinement apprécié.
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6/20/2015 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose is quite luscious with earth tones, pineapple and lychee. The palate is interesting, with a very bright tannic backbone that carries pineapple, lychee, minerals and a slight touch of citrus. Let this warm in the glass a little and the aromas become much more clear and the mouthfeel thickens and becomes more complex.
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5/25/2015 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another nice bottle of Varner.
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5/6/2015 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious! Very clean with great clarity.
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4/15/2015 - Mattshank wrote: 94 Points
Nose: Toasty, earthy aromas w/ traces of petrol and pineapple. Very cool nose. Palate: Highly complex w/ pineapples, fig, lychee, minerals and very subtle petrol qualities that are not detractive, but unique. The richness is unreal and viscous, yet with a firm spine of acid along with the mineral and pineapple notes, has plenty of lift for contrast. Just a fantastic effort from the Varner brothers!
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3/18/2015 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Similar to previous. Continues to impress.
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3/18/2015 - awise45 wrote: 90 Points
A bit muted and not as vibrant as I recall past bottles. Still fresh, but lacking the zest that stood out. Perhaps in a period of slight closure?
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8/10/2014 - hayato Likes this wine:
Impressive! Light gold, day bright. Lemon, honey and chalk on nose with a very faint trace of butter as it warms in the glass. Med+ acid, lemon, lime fresh cut white flowers and grapefruit with crushed rocks on palate. Loooong precise finish. The thing about this wine is that it just gets better and better as you get to the bottom of the bottle. Great expression of Chardonnay! Can't believe more people don't plant grapes around the Varner brothers after drinking this wine. Worth every penny - share it with a Burgundy drinker.
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5/8/2014 - William Kelley Likes this wine:
A delicious wine, the 2011 Bee Block from Varner tastes like a top-flight Puligny Montrachet. Aromas of yellow stone fruits, minerals and honeysuckle emerge from the glass, followed by an impressively textured and authoritative palate impression, laden with minerals. All that is married with a modest 13.2% alcohol.
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4/5/2014 - floydtp wrote: 90 Points
Liquid Farm / Chard Double Blind- Dallas (Classic Wine Storage- Dallas): Wine #12 in a line up of 15 blind chards (preceded by Sandhi Sanford & Benedict 2010. Very interesting nose that I had a hard time putting into words. My first thought was that someone brought a non-chard wine as it seems to have some rousanne and marsanne elements to it. I did pick up some vanilla along with a combination of floral and honey. On the palate it was similar with the addition of tart apples. It had a medium length finish that also included some spice. Medium acidity. I think this wine needs a few to several more years. Even though I only had 1-1.5 oz of it and only had it in my glass for 15 minutes or so, it seems to change quite a bit. 90-92
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2/12/2014 - Frijole wrote:
medium gold, lots of clarity, silvery hue
Nose: honey, salt, pears, oak, white pepper, sage
Pal: pear, green apple, salt, honey, thyme, musk, butter, sage, nougat
Feel: full, sharp and unbalanced
Finish: long
TC7
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2/2/2014 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clean and sleek texture, with excellent minerality and balanced acidity. Flavors are subtle, tending to a bit of apple/pear, a little citrus, and maybe some white flowers. Overall, very Burgundian. Varner continues to impress.
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1/26/2014 - Mrp2008 wrote: 94 Points
Just a wonderful expression of Chardonnay. Only expect this to get better, but as of now needs 2 or so hours to settle down. There is so much pure fruit here. Nose, palate, finish are all there but nothing over the top.
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12/29/2013 - Wine Sparty wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured with rotisserie chicken. Aroma is a bit of vanilla with some baking spices such as nutmeg & allspice. Taste has lemon right upfront, but not too acidic.
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8/10/2013 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
This is my favorite Varner Chardonnay to date, which is saying something. It is the most precise and mineral, marrying intensity with a sensation of weightlessness, wonderful seamless balance, followed by a lingering succulent finish.
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3/7/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Tasted from barrel with Bob Varner. Stunning from the first moment, and continued to gain complexity and brightness with just a few minutes of airtime. A dead-ringer for Grand Cru Burg at this point, this was my favorite of the three single-vineyard efforts. Apples, pears, mango, citrus and white floral combine to create a powerful, captivating nose. The alcohol levels on all the Chardonnay are under 13,0- 13,5% IIRC, which adds to the mind's confusion here, how so much can be packed into a very conservative frame. A sweeping mid-palate that caresses with its bold, but tightly packed white fruits. I will seek this out upon release. A perfect example that some exceptional wine can be made in even the most challenging of vintages. highly recommended
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