Wonderful, aged Chardonnay. Enjoyed at Michael and Rita’s with Jeff and Mr/Mrs Renzoni! Just as wonderful as it was at the Insignia release at JPV last September. Will save the other magnum for next summer.
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Drank from a magnum that we bought at a Phelps event. We normally do not like to age California chardonnay's, but the 2010 that we tasted at the Phelps event was shockingly good, so we bought a bottle. At nearly 10 years old, it is not as tart, but neither was it flat nor dead. It is smoother, but still has plenty of fruit and taste. Just extremely drinkable.
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This wine has a nose of peach stone, apricot, minerals, and green apple. There is a nice blend of oak on the palate and the finish is very smooth. Excellent.
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Disappointing versus prior bottles. Could be a one bottle thing, but doubt that. This bottle was very acidic. I am going to change the back end for the drink window on this one from 2018 to 2017.
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Nice balance between buttery caramel/vanilla oak and lemony fruit/acidity. Good length and persistence but not as deep as a Kistler, for example. Great Cali chard for the $.
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I've noticed that this has gotten fatter since renaming it Joseph Phelps from the Freestone label. It's almost Rombauer like in this vintage. Hefty oak, vanilla, pineapple creme-cicle. It's just too darn heavy to want to keep drinking like great chard in spite of good acid to go with an almost slight oiliness. Decent finish. Modernly styled.
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shared with pat at selkirk manor to celebrate the end of the work week. i usually don't do a pop and pour on a wine that still has a few years ahead of it but reading the highly complimentary notes from other members made it irresistable. i also needed to determine whether to go back and buy more. it looks like chardonnay is a relatively new project for phelps. as with everything else that he does, he gets this right. the wine has everything one could ask for in a cali chard or any chard for that matter. golden color. abundant aroma. multi-layered in the mouth. perfect balance between light skin seeded fruits, lemon, butter and acid. a memorable wine. i think i would abide by galloni estimated longevity in this instance. a bit pricey for me but worth the splurge.
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Gold color. Nose includes apricot, vanilla, lemon, pear, pineapple, white flower. Same on the palate, along with nice minerality. Medium+ body, high acidity. Medium+ finish. An elegant chard.
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Drank at Joseph Phelps Dinner We were very sup prised by this Chardonnay. Great balance not over the top and a wonderful palate. Definitely will be buying some of this
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Mini Lunch Offline with some Honey's (John's House, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes plus. This was a pretty nice wine, moderate oak, lightly floral, mildly tropical fruit, apple. The palate shows moderate oak, apple, lemon, good minerality, medium body and medium finish. 90+pts.
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Lunch Offline (Minneapolis, MN): Excellent again with tropical fruit, wafer, minerals, spice and lemons. While oak is present it does not district the wine in any way and adds complexity. Should drink well for five plus years.
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Great Chard; crisp & clean with nice acidity, aromas of ripe citrus fruits and green apple on the pallet, medium body, balanced with a respectful finish.
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Better than the last one. Golden color. Peaches, pear and butterscotch on the nose; same elements and nectar on the palate. Round, medium finish. Great QPR. Compares favorably with iconic Sonoma Chards.
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Absolutely gorgeous wine. Spices, shells, chalk, apples and Carmel. Nice use of oak and super complex wine. A top wine candidate for the year even though we are only in January. Day 2 still excellent and just a really well made effort!
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nice fruit forward, honey, but also some green apples, not oaky, with following acidity and creamy finish. wonderful balance, nice minerality. a great quaff ready now! my last bottle, unfortunately.
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Deep straw color. Nose of honey and melon. Rich, complex melon fruit entry, with beautifully balanced acid and a full body. These and other subtler elements intertwine towards a long finish. Outstanding effort. I am very picky about American Chardonnay and this is the best I have tasted to date.
Light gren-yellow that catches the light nicely. Nose of green apples with a bit of pear. Notes of toasty vanilla that speak to well-integrated oak, green apple, and quince. The texture is almost feathery light yet buttery. This is excellent stuff, but probably not built for the long-term. Solid 91.
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a beautiful saturday afternoon with a chilled Freestone chardonnay. the wine hit the cross between a chablis and napa chard ... big to some extent, but still elegant and refreshing
one of the party - who does not care for CA chard - liked this as well
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Aromas of fresh lemons, citrus zest, pineapple, vanilla and a savory spicy herb character. This has a wonderful rich texture, with racy acidity keeping it fresh and inviting
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Bright acidity, mineral nose, ample fruit. Really liked it. Fruit came out even more second day but the mineral had subsided. Liked the initial impression better.
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I agree with others as I was bracing myself for a burst of buttery popcorn but found a structured chardonnay with crisp acidity and rounded body, green apple, pears and lemons with hints of oak fill out the palate, drinks like some of the more expensive Cali chardonnay bottlings out there, a very balanced, food-friendly style
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Excellent! Golden hue with clear meniscus. Butterscotch, almond and honey on the nose. Expected "in your face" buttery on the palate, but it's not. Some butterscotch, but also green apple, pineapple (mid-palate) and a carmel finish. Great texture; smooth finish. In a class with Chards from W-S, Kistler and Rochioli at a much friendlier price point.
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it was a bit disappointing ... i was expecting something similar to the Dutton-Goldfields of same vintage, and the Phelps was much less interesting and desirable. I think full judgement will have to wait for the second bottle - score could change
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Medium yellow color. Distinct oak on the nose, along with crisp apple and tart pear fruit and minerals. In the mouth, full but not overbearing, with good texture and quite pure fruit. Good acidity. A slightly bitter finish. B+
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7/11/2020 - jzebrack Likes this wine:
same tasting notes as December. The wine is holding well. Would not necessarily recommend further aging.
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12/10/2019 - jyensan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful, aged Chardonnay. Enjoyed at Michael and Rita’s with Jeff and Mr/Mrs Renzoni! Just as wonderful as it was at the Insignia release at JPV last September. Will save the other magnum for next summer.
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6/22/2019 - jzebrack Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank from a magnum that we bought at a Phelps event. We normally do not like to age California chardonnay's, but the 2010 that we tasted at the Phelps event was shockingly good, so we bought a bottle. At nearly 10 years old, it is not as tart, but neither was it flat nor dead. It is smoother, but still has plenty of fruit and taste. Just extremely drinkable.
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10/30/2018 - rhanke wrote:
Golden yellow. Lemon , hint of oak. Nice mouthfeel
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10/15/2018 - WineGuyFL wrote: 90 Points
My last bottle. This was a great wine and a great value, but has really declined. I would be a drinker.
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4/2/2017 - Swekman wrote: 92 Points
This wine has a nose of peach stone, apricot, minerals, and green apple. There is a nice blend of oak on the palate and the finish is very smooth. Excellent.
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12/23/2016 - Slater wrote: 90 Points
A cab drinkers Pinot
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11/27/2016 - WineGuyFL wrote: 90 Points
Disappointing versus prior bottles. Could be a one bottle thing, but doubt that. This bottle was very acidic. I am going to change the back end for the drink window on this one from 2018 to 2017.
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8/6/2016 - Grapeman75 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice balance between buttery caramel/vanilla oak and lemony fruit/acidity. Good length and persistence but not as deep as a Kistler, for example. Great Cali chard for the $.
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5/8/2016 - XPEDITR wrote: 85 Points
Still a lot of Tart even after 6 years.
Enjoyable up to 1-2 Glasses. Best shared in a group.
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4/5/2016 - brianakrin wrote: 90 Points
The wood dominates , well made for the Clali big oak fruity style but too heavy handed for me.
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11/7/2015 - twain Likes this wine: 95 Points
Captivating mineral and tropical nose, stunning mouth full of fruit and dried honey with bright acidity and a long salted butter and mineral finish.
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10/25/2015 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Rich wine with orange peel, apples, almonds and honey. Nice use of oak and long finish. Well done especially for the price.
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9/26/2015 - yossarian.livez wrote: 86 Points
I've noticed that this has gotten fatter since renaming it Joseph Phelps from the Freestone label. It's almost Rombauer like in this vintage. Hefty oak, vanilla, pineapple creme-cicle. It's just too darn heavy to want to keep drinking like great chard in spite of good acid to go with an almost slight oiliness. Decent finish. Modernly styled.
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8/21/2015 - cupoverflowing1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
very good, but a little watery finish... not as buttery as I like... still, great wine
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7/29/2015 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe apple, flowers, cinnamon, and minerals on the nose. Well balanced, good acidity. Notes of honey and apples on the paste. Long finish.
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5/17/2015 - Thief Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious pear and apple, rich, round, complex long finish.
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5/1/2015 - bacchus wrote: 92 Points
shared with pat at selkirk manor to celebrate the end of the work week. i usually don't do a pop and pour on a wine that still has a few years ahead of it but reading the highly complimentary notes from other members made it irresistable. i also needed to determine whether to go back and buy more. it looks like chardonnay is a relatively new project for phelps. as with everything else that he does, he gets this right. the wine has everything one could ask for in a cali chard or any chard for that matter. golden color. abundant aroma. multi-layered in the mouth. perfect balance between light skin seeded fruits, lemon, butter and acid. a memorable wine. i think i would abide by galloni estimated longevity in this instance. a bit pricey for me but worth the splurge.
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10/29/2014 - rjbr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good
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6/19/2014 - budh wrote:
Gold color. Nose includes apricot, vanilla, lemon, pear, pineapple, white flower. Same on the palate, along with nice minerality. Medium+ body, high acidity. Medium+ finish. An elegant chard.
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5/20/2014 - RayOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank at Joseph Phelps Dinner
We were very sup prised by this Chardonnay. Great balance not over the top and a wonderful palate. Definitely will be buying some of this
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3/28/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Mini Lunch Offline with some Honey's (John's House, Mpls, MN): Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes plus. This was a pretty nice wine, moderate oak, lightly floral, mildly tropical fruit, apple. The palate shows moderate oak, apple, lemon, good minerality, medium body and medium finish. 90+pts.
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3/28/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Lunch Offline (Minneapolis, MN): Excellent again with tropical fruit, wafer, minerals, spice and lemons. While oak is present it does not district the wine in any way and adds complexity. Should drink well for five plus years.
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3/22/2014 - corka Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great Chard; crisp & clean with nice acidity, aromas of ripe citrus fruits and green apple on the pallet, medium body, balanced with a respectful finish.
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2/14/2014 - chelmsford wrote: 93 Points
delicious, perfect balance, like a puligny. sleek, meyer lemon, toast, and some cream. nice acidity cleans palate
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2/13/2014 - vino_per_tutti Likes this wine: 92 Points
Better than the last one. Golden color. Peaches, pear and butterscotch on the nose; same elements and nectar on the palate. Round, medium finish. Great QPR. Compares favorably with iconic Sonoma Chards.
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1/22/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely gorgeous wine. Spices, shells, chalk, apples and Carmel. Nice use of oak and super complex wine. A top wine candidate for the year even though we are only in January.
Day 2 still excellent and just a really well made effort!
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1/7/2014 - pmk Likes this wine: 93 Points
nice fruit forward, honey, but also some green apples, not oaky, with following acidity and creamy finish. wonderful balance, nice minerality. a great quaff ready now! my last bottle, unfortunately.
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12/21/2013 - mdfuller Likes this wine: 90 Points
great drinking chard ... elegant and smooth ... definitely a sonoma coast wine not a napa butter-ball ...
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12/6/2013 - treidling Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep straw color. Nose of honey and melon. Rich, complex melon fruit entry, with beautifully balanced acid and a full body. These and other subtler elements intertwine towards a long finish. Outstanding effort. I am very picky about American Chardonnay and this is the best I have tasted to date.
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10/23/2013 - pmk Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consistent with earlier notes. Drink now
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10/8/2013 - SeagreenWench Likes this wine: 90 Points
Crisp, tart, grapefruit, nice mouth feel, smooth medium finish.
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9/21/2013 - Reblin Likes this wine: 91 Points
A delicious chardonnay for drinking on its own. Butter and oak, nicely integrated, along with notes of pear and tart apple.
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7/20/2013 - justinbuch wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding Chardonnay. Great buttery mouthfeel.
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7/5/2013 - TexasBob wrote: 91 Points
Light gren-yellow that catches the light nicely. Nose of green apples with a bit of pear. Notes of toasty vanilla that speak to well-integrated oak, green apple, and quince. The texture is almost feathery light yet buttery. This is excellent stuff, but probably not built for the long-term. Solid 91.
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6/23/2013 - mdfuller Likes this wine: 91 Points
a beautiful saturday afternoon with a chilled Freestone chardonnay. the wine hit the cross between a chablis and napa chard ... big to some extent, but still elegant and refreshing
one of the party - who does not care for CA chard - liked this as well
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6/18/2013 - InternationalWineReport wrote:
Aromas of fresh lemons, citrus zest, pineapple, vanilla and a savory spicy herb character. This has a wonderful rich texture, with racy acidity keeping it fresh and inviting
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6/9/2013 - Reblin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well balanced fruit, minerality, and oak. Creamy and full body, golden color. Delicious
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5/23/2013 - twain Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright acidity, mineral nose, ample fruit. Really liked it. Fruit came out even more second day but the mineral had subsided. Liked the initial impression better.
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5/9/2013 - pmk wrote: 91 Points
nice fruit forward, honey, but also some green apples, not oaky, with following acidity and creamy finish.
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4/26/2013 - whits Likes this wine: 92 Points
I agree with others as I was bracing myself for a burst of buttery popcorn but found a structured chardonnay with crisp acidity and rounded body, green apple, pears and lemons with hints of oak fill out the palate, drinks like some of the more expensive Cali chardonnay bottlings out there, a very balanced, food-friendly style
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4/15/2013 - Shapnyc wrote: 91 Points
V good
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3/9/2013 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superb. Not flabby, over-oaked and buttery like many California chardonnays. Crisp/fresh flavor. Wish I would have bought a full case.
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3/8/2013 - vino_per_tutti Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent! Golden hue with clear meniscus. Butterscotch, almond and honey on the nose. Expected "in your face" buttery on the palate, but it's not. Some butterscotch, but also green apple, pineapple (mid-palate) and a carmel finish. Great texture; smooth finish. In a class with Chards from W-S, Kistler and Rochioli at a much friendlier price point.
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3/7/2013 - mfrankel2 wrote:
Smooth, grapefruit soft finish
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2/14/2013 - JayAAllen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Butterscotch and caramel aromas. Apple flavors, with decent acidity for brightness.
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2/4/2013 - cepouliot Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of the best chards I've had from a CA producer.
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2/4/2013 - S-E Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best Chard since visiting Beaune in 2008
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12/30/2012 - mdfuller wrote: 89 Points
it was a bit disappointing ... i was expecting something similar to the Dutton-Goldfields of same vintage, and the Phelps was much less interesting and desirable. I think full judgement will have to wait for the second bottle - score could change
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8/18/2012 - affordableCollector wrote: 92 Points
bright, slight green-yellow in color. citrus, green apple, floral, honey, on the nose. enjoyable finish.
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6/16/2012 - gutt22 wrote:
Medium yellow color. Distinct oak on the nose, along with crisp apple and tart pear fruit and minerals. In the mouth, full but not overbearing, with good texture and quite pure fruit. Good acidity. A slightly bitter finish. B+
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