Deep gold in the glass. Apple tart on the front and middle... gone a bit flabby towards the finish... cork wasn't in the best shape, not going to mark this flawed but it's close.
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Deep yellow, moderate intensity nose with butter, oak vanilla, and ripe apple dominating. Clearly heavier oaked than the more recent vintages. Nicely done but you had better like oaked Chardonnay.
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Gold in color. Golden delicious apple, pineapple, ripe mango with moderately tart acidity. Mildly corked with some cardboard on the nose and some subtle oxidative components.
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From magnum, popped and poured. I wasn't sure if I was opening this too early based on CT notes I was seeing. In the end, the answer was "yes".
The palate was tart apple, lots of minerality, buttery oak, and some pronounced acidity (not in a bad way). Over the course of the evening it evolved well with air, but none of these notes went away.
I can't comment on the wine's state from a 750ml, but from a magnum, you can definitely hold this for at least another 10 years.
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Among the best California chards we've ever tasted. We didn't take notes at the time, but memory supplies yellow gold color, nose of pineapple, honey, kiwi, wonderful balance on the palate, mineral notes adding structure to the fruit. Maybe starting to show its age (might explain the color), but not suffering from it at all yet.
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This wine was opened for NYE 2017 and partially consumed. Fruit was muted but nice weight. But the neat thing was it was best 4 days later. I left it uncorked and when I finally returned for the last small glass, it was very nice. Agree with CT user who said could pass for a Peter Michael's younger brother. Flavor of pineapple but very developed and muted, not hit you over the head sharpness, but very pleasant, and also a nice fatness to this wine, like a dieter that dropped that tough first twenty but has another ten to go. Recommended but based on how long it took to get to its prime drinking, I think a few more years, say 3, in the bottle would make it just fine.
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Pop and pour. In the glass, clear, rich gold. On the nose, honeysuckle, apple, grapefruit, and smoke. On the palate, pear, green apple, toast, and a bit of charred oak, carried on a rich, oily/silky palate, with a long finish. What catches your attention here is the balance between light fruit and unctuous texture. One of the nicest chards I've had in a while.
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Slightly muted flavors of pineapple and pear that intensified the longer the wine stood in the glass. Can't go wrong here with this wine; it's just that good. If Peter Michael had a younger brother, this would be it. Was ready now but could go a few years more at most.
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Had this Isobel last night at a Chardonnay tasting vs some heavy weights (Kistler, Kosta, Selyem, Lynmar). The Isobel was the group favorite. Very balanced. Enjoyable fruit and a subtle rich finish. Time to drink up if you have any 750s left.
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Nice wine, very balanced, smooth, no sharp acidity, muted pineapple and grapefruit flavors, medium gold color, small cork infiltration but good integrity, feels ready now but should be consumed within next 5 years, recommended for it's smoothness and balance, a mellow wine that made me anticipate the next sip.
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Pop and pour. Pale to medium-yellow gold in the glass, relatively clear. On the nose, honeysuckle, apple, and oak, in equal measure. On the palate, a well-balanced chard, with fruit, minerality, and slightly smoky oak, but no one of these three dominates. Smooth texture and long finish.
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a gorgeous CA chardonnay. perfect balance of fruit (more sweet pineapple than tart apple to me), great full body and layers to it, pretty beam of acidity cutting through it, long finish. oak is smoothly integrated. its all there and probably at its peak.
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lots of tropical fruits in this one. Sweet pear, some pineapple and apple. Golden hue. hint of minerality as it opened but really a unctuous, delicious chard with a long long finish. very new world and excellent.
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Drank along side of an '11 DuMOL Isobel. This '10 was, as one great man said, "out of control" with the King Crab legs. It was a little more buttery with some lemon notes and minerality. Enjoyed the '10 slightly more than the '11, although both were incredible.
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Hennepin Lake Charity Tasting Event: This classy chard really delivers, classics blend of power and finesse, nice fruit together with good minerality and complementary oak, very bright and pure with a long finish. 93+pts.
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10/17/2022 - oropeza wrote:
Deep gold in the glass. Apple tart on the front and middle... gone a bit flabby towards the finish... cork wasn't in the best shape, not going to mark this flawed but it's close.
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5/2/2020 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep yellow, moderate intensity nose with butter, oak vanilla, and ripe apple dominating. Clearly heavier oaked than the more recent vintages. Nicely done but you had better like oaked Chardonnay.
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12/22/2019 - rustyRudy wrote: flawed
Gold in color. Golden delicious apple, pineapple, ripe mango with moderately tart acidity. Mildly corked with some cardboard on the nose and some subtle oxidative components.
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9/9/2019 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with previous tasting notes.
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2/4/2019 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 92 Points
From magnum, popped and poured. I wasn't sure if I was opening this too early based on CT notes I was seeing. In the end, the answer was "yes".
The palate was tart apple, lots of minerality, buttery oak, and some pronounced acidity (not in a bad way). Over the course of the evening it evolved well with air, but none of these notes went away.
I can't comment on the wine's state from a 750ml, but from a magnum, you can definitely hold this for at least another 10 years.
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6/24/2018 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 90 Points
Green apple, mango and oak. Nice mouth feel/body. Much higher acids than I was expecting. Nice but very green apple fruit dominate.
I've had many other efforts that have been even more enjoyable.
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4/21/2018 - sfbikeguy wrote: 93 Points
Definitely held a bit long, but it was enjoyable.
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3/3/2018 - tautlinehitch Likes this wine: 94 Points
Among the best California chards we've ever tasted. We didn't take notes at the time, but memory supplies yellow gold color, nose of pineapple, honey, kiwi, wonderful balance on the palate, mineral notes adding structure to the fruit. Maybe starting to show its age (might explain the color), but not suffering from it at all yet.
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3/27/2017 - pelwart wrote: 88 Points
overwhelming taste of pineapple and oak, but not very buttery
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1/5/2017 - pmarlo wrote: 93 Points
This wine was opened for NYE 2017 and partially consumed. Fruit was muted but nice weight. But the neat thing was it was best 4 days later. I left it uncorked and when I finally returned for the last small glass, it was very nice. Agree with CT user who said could pass for a Peter Michael's younger brother. Flavor of pineapple but very developed and muted, not hit you over the head sharpness, but very pleasant, and also a nice fatness to this wine, like a dieter that dropped that tough first twenty but has another ten to go. Recommended but based on how long it took to get to its prime drinking, I think a few more years, say 3, in the bottle would make it just fine.
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12/28/2016 - jshufelt wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour. In the glass, clear, rich gold. On the nose, honeysuckle, apple, grapefruit, and smoke. On the palate, pear, green apple, toast, and a bit of charred oak, carried on a rich, oily/silky palate, with a long finish. What catches your attention here is the balance between light fruit and unctuous texture. One of the nicest chards I've had in a while.
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7/16/2016 - pmarlo wrote: 93 Points
Slightly muted flavors of pineapple and pear that intensified the longer the wine stood in the glass. Can't go wrong here with this wine; it's just that good. If Peter Michael had a younger brother, this would be it. Was ready now but could go a few years more at most.
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5/1/2016 - winelover1808 wrote: 94 Points
delicious! golden hue. toasted apple crisp. have yet to have a bad bottle of isobel yet! this seems like its at its pinnacle today.
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4/9/2016 - sfbikeguy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had this Isobel last night at a Chardonnay tasting vs some heavy weights (Kistler, Kosta, Selyem, Lynmar). The Isobel was the group favorite. Very balanced. Enjoyable fruit and a subtle rich finish. Time to drink up if you have any 750s left.
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8/15/2015 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice wine, very balanced, smooth, no sharp acidity, muted pineapple and grapefruit flavors, medium gold color, small cork infiltration but good integrity, feels ready now but should be consumed within next 5 years, recommended for it's smoothness and balance, a mellow wine that made me anticipate the next sip.
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8/14/2015 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. Pale to medium-yellow gold in the glass, relatively clear. On the nose, honeysuckle, apple, and oak, in equal measure. On the palate, a well-balanced chard, with fruit, minerality, and slightly smoky oak, but no one of these three dominates. Smooth texture and long finish.
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6/21/2015 - winelover1808 wrote: 94 Points
a gorgeous CA chardonnay. perfect balance of fruit (more sweet pineapple than tart apple to me), great full body and layers to it, pretty beam of acidity cutting through it, long finish. oak is smoothly integrated. its all there and probably at its peak.
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4/12/2015 - winelover1808 wrote: 93 Points
lots of tropical fruits in this one. Sweet pear, some pineapple and apple. Golden hue. hint of minerality as it opened but really a unctuous, delicious chard with a long long finish. very new world and excellent.
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1/10/2015 - willthethrill Likes this wine: 92 Points
My favorite of all the DuMols I tried.
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12/23/2014 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank along side of an '11 DuMOL Isobel. This '10 was, as one great man said, "out of control" with the King Crab legs. It was a little more buttery with some lemon notes and minerality. Enjoyed the '10 slightly more than the '11, although both were incredible.
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12/20/2014 - dfresh wrote: 92 Points
Rich, thick and dark yellow.
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11/4/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
No notes
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10/19/2014 - JayAAllen wrote: flawed
Mildly corked. Didn't prevent drinking, but definitely a detraction.
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11/1/2013 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Hennepin Lake's Annual Tasting (Tons of Napa Cabs); 10/30/2013-11/2/2013: Wonderful stuff and balanced for Cali Chard. Lemon, apples, toasted oak and great acidity. Complex and medium to long finish.
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10/30/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Hennepin Lake Charity Tasting Event: This classy chard really delivers, classics blend of power and finesse, nice fruit together with good minerality and complementary oak, very bright and pure with a long finish. 93+pts.
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10/30/2013 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Hennepin Lake's Annual Tasting (Tons of Napa Cabs); 10/30/2013-11/2/2013: Really showing well tonight. Rich wine with shells, minerals, fruit and subtle spices. Just enough toasted oak to add a layer of complexity. Medium to long finish and amazing depth. Really good stuff! 93+
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