This final bottle of a case seemed a little sweeter than its predecessors, but I was drinking it at summer cellar temperature, which is a little warm for a White Bordeaux Blend. I pushed my consumption of this wine over fears of oxidation, but really, this wine has years ahead.
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Popped and poured. The bottle opened just prior to this one was on its way to oxidation (and thus, for use in cooking only) but this one was fine. Maybe not peak, but still very pleasant with the characteristics and balance of any reasonably mature White Bordeaux Blend of note, a description to which Chaleur Estate Blanc has always answered. Two left; fingers crossed.
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I had forgotten about these for years in the cellar, and the most recent TN prompted me to check in on them: yep, this one was well on the way to oxidation and not pleasant to drink, though it will be fine for cooking. On the the next bottle: three left.
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July 13,2022. Drank from Bin East 24 with Michelle, Aline and Trevor. Hint of oak. Dark yellow. Full body touch of oak long dry finish with some acid. Past prime. In cellar since December 2016. $34.20. 4/10.
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Wondering if this bottle was an outlier. Stephen Tanzer gave it a 94 which is akin to a 98 or so from Dunnuck or Parker. Tanzer is a lot more stingy with his ratings. And CT notes talked about creamy, buttery, tropical notes. This bottle was tart, almost sour at first, and a tad thin in body. Very acidic and lemony...again, tart. Gave it one pass through the Vinturi (no time for air which it needs) and that helped considerably. Once I massaged it and got used to the lemony tartness (very different from my expectations which I know is my fault) I did enjoy this for what it was. A chance to taste what Tanzer calls one of the best (if not THE best) white wine out of Washington. Very yellow color showing its' age and it is developing that mature aftertaste. So, give it air/Vinturi and try to approach without any expectations and be open to an educational experience.
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Well made SB drinking beautifully. Opened 30 minutes before serving, one of the highlights of dinner party last night. Fresh, bright on the palette with medium finish. Wonderful floral tropical fruit nose. Glad I have more!
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Cayuse dinner: This was eye-opening stuff. It has aged so well and seems to have a while to go. Rich, buttery but vibrant. Creamy, white tea, peaches, apricot, with complex honeycomb, chalk dust, hay, underlying minerals. Really delicious stuff.
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Bright yellow with gold accents. The nose is slowly showing preserved citrus, lanolin, spice and honey. Deep and powerful on the palate, the still primary flavors are showing citrus zest, spiced pear that are deep and concentrated but quite bright, young and juicy. The oak is nicely integrated with the fruit. While this continues to evolve at a glacial pace, it is a pleasure to drink now but will reward several more years in the cellar.
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Deep yellow, immediate rich nose, kind of citrus, pear, peach aged, bit of creme brulee, wonderful hints of smoke, herb, honey. All carried to palate. Perfectly balanced sweet and acid, with delightful changes on palate to a long finish that ended with a cleansing pop, deep and fresh at the same time. Nicely aged, seems at top form now.
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With just a few of my 2013s left, I had this at a Washington State wine night w/ my wine group. While enjoying this, I felt I didn't enjoy it as much as in the past, as it was less lively than previous bottles of this vintage. Maybe its peaked? Still very good.
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PNP poolside at Cranes Beachhouse in Delray Beach. Golden straw color. Prominent nose of straw, butter, citrus (mostly grapefruit) and oak/almond. Taste is similar with crisp dry acidity, river stones and popcorn butter. Smooth buttery mouthfeel. Heavier than most Sauvignon blancs (probably due to semillion blend). More of a dinner wine than a poolside refresher. Nice. 90-91.
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Drink at a dinner party, no formal notes. This needs at least another year or two, however, before it'll hit its stride. Right now the barrel notes dominate the nose and palate, even after several hours of air exposure. There's a lot more complexity in this wine than it's presenting now.
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Wine night with 7 other friends, we had: 2013 Delille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc , 2007 Paolo Conterno Barolo Ginestra Riserva, and the 2010 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion. The 2 reds where from magnums and they were 1/2 decanted with the rest sitting in the bottle, for 90 minutes before we started drinking them.
Once again, the Delille was a huge hit with my group. It went really well with the crab cakes and the fresh Oysters. Very dry, crisp acidity, with citrus, floral and mineral notes.
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Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (I Nonni, St. Paul, MN): Tasted a small pour from another table. Didn't take any detailed notes. Noticeable oak influence, a bigger fuller body with bright citrus and tropical notes as I recall. 90(+?)pts.
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Columbus Day Washington State Wine Night (Lincoln Square Steaks, NYC): This was a huge hit with my wine group. None of us had ever had it before. Dry, with a pleasing acidity, it had citrus and floral notes. Loved the way the Semillon tamed the Sauvignon Blanc. It had a much bigger body than straight Sauvignon Blancs have.
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Light gold in color, the wine has medium body and a good amount of acidity. Abundant citrus fruit and peel throughout mixed in with vanilla, peach, and a touch of nuttiness. Medium+ vibrant finish. Great ageing potential here.
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Drank over three days. Complex, fruit (white currant, lemongrass, dragon fruit, kumquat, guava), spice (white pepper, coriander, sage), and mineral-driven bouquet. Impressive weight, medium to medium plus acid, bracing and rounded mouthfeel, tangy finish of excellent length. The wine added weight on the second and third days, with ripe fruit with quality oak more forward. Very interesting. It should evolve over the next three to four years and handle beautifully through 2025+.
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We had this before dinner on 5/13/16. It had a deep, expressive bouquet of toast, hay, kiwi, guava, lime, herb and spice aromas. The palate was deep, layered and nicely acidic with flavors of kiwi, guava, lime, herb and spice.
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Fantastic white Bordeaux blend of Savignon Blanc and Semillon that coats the tongue with rich buttery smoothness. A treat on its own or with mild hard cheeses. Delightful.
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A wonderfully rich Bordeaux white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. It just oozes flavor and character and coats the palate. There is hazelnut, honey, and flower scents abounding. On the tongue it pops and then spreads a warm glow. I have never been disappointed with the Chaleur Estate Blanc from DeLille Cellars.
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Brought to CT SEA December tasting with Maison Harbour. Good acidity, fruit, and depth as usual for this wine. This is one of my favorite whites from WA State.
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A crisp and refreshing white Bordeaux blend. Light yellow in color, light in body, nose of grapefruit and stone. Tastes of grapefruit, canteloupe, and saline, with a hint of lemon. The finish combines the crispness of Sauvignon Blanc (65%) with the thickness of Semillon (35%). 13.2% alcohol. This is a bit sharp for my taste, but it is refreshing nonetheless.
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Brilliant yellow/gold. Reticent nose of honey, wax, preserved lemon and just a touch of sweet spice. Rich, deep and full bodied, the flavors are very primary and unevolved with notes of citrus rind and roasted nuts. There is some youthful bitterness. I have about 15 years of experience with this wine and am confident that this will blossom with several years in the cellar. Took one for the team. This is just a baby. Drink 2018 through 2025.
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Just a taste a few days after the gals drank most of the bottle; they liked it very much, as do I. A solid, consistent, lovely White Bordeaux Blend, sort of like getting Pavilion Blanc at a third the price.
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65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon, fermented 'sur lie' in French oak barrels. Bright, light gold. Nose of maple-cured bacon, lemon custard, and baking scents. Smooth and viscous with flavors of oak and lemon. I would mistake it for a chardonnay if I didn’t know better.
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Wow. One of the most distinctive and impressive whites I've tasted in a couple of years. Crystalline. Clean, dense, subtly oaked nose. Amazing texturally with totally seamless silkiness that blew me away. Haunting flavors of hazlenut, hay, beeswax that are long long long (did I say long?), fading very slowly with that incredible texture. Can't wait to try it again.
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My wife and I tasted this at the Woodinville tasting room on 9/27/14. It had a deep, fresh and expressive bouquet of smoke, hay, kiwi, guava, citrus, vanilla and spice aromas. The palate was clean, fresh and dense with flavors of guava, kiwi, lime, toast, vanilla and spice.
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6/13/2023 - prism wrote: 93 Points
This final bottle of a case seemed a little sweeter than its predecessors, but I was drinking it at summer cellar temperature, which is a little warm for a White Bordeaux Blend. I pushed my consumption of this wine over fears of oxidation, but really, this wine has years ahead.
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5/13/2023 - prism wrote: 94 Points
This wine does hold up well over time. Consistently delicious. Great value in a White Bordeaux Blend.
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4/18/2023 - cindykru wrote:
Was concerned that this would be past it’s prime it was delicious
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2/20/2023 - ebsebs Likes this wine:
Nice
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12/7/2022 - prism wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. The bottle opened just prior to this one was on its way to oxidation (and thus, for use in cooking only) but this one was fine. Maybe not peak, but still very pleasant with the characteristics and balance of any reasonably mature White Bordeaux Blend of note, a description to which Chaleur Estate Blanc has always answered. Two left; fingers crossed.
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12/7/2022 - prism wrote:
I had forgotten about these for years in the cellar, and the most recent TN prompted me to check in on them: yep, this one was well on the way to oxidation and not pleasant to drink, though it will be fine for cooking. On the the next bottle: three left.
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7/13/2022 - RDB Wine wrote:
July 13,2022. Drank from Bin East 24 with Michelle, Aline and Trevor. Hint of oak. Dark yellow. Full body touch of oak long dry finish with some acid. Past prime. In cellar since December 2016. $34.20. 4/10.
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9/19/2020 - doggman Likes this wine: 90 Points
It’s rare for me to decant a white but on a hunch I decanted this bottle. It rocked with soft-shell crabs and wood roasted brined chicken!
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6/5/2020 - ozziewine Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wondering if this bottle was an outlier.
Stephen Tanzer gave it a 94 which is akin to a 98 or so from Dunnuck or Parker. Tanzer is a lot more stingy with his ratings. And CT notes talked about creamy, buttery, tropical notes.
This bottle was tart, almost sour at first, and a tad thin in body. Very acidic and lemony...again, tart.
Gave it one pass through the Vinturi (no time for air which it needs) and that helped considerably.
Once I massaged it and got used to the lemony tartness (very different from my expectations which I know is my fault) I did enjoy this for what it was. A chance to taste what Tanzer calls one of the best (if not THE best) white wine out of Washington.
Very yellow color showing its' age and it is developing that mature aftertaste.
So, give it air/Vinturi and try to approach without any expectations and be open to an educational experience.
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3/29/2020 - RJWallis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Paired well with seafood pasta. Clean and crisp with a rich medium finish.
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1/25/2020 - talbot61 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has always been good, but is drinking particularly nicely right now. It has a nice, rounded richness, with a balanced dose of lemony acidity.
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3/9/2019 - RJWallis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well made SB drinking beautifully. Opened 30 minutes before serving, one of the highlights of dinner party last night. Fresh, bright on the palette with medium finish. Wonderful floral tropical fruit nose. Glad I have more!
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1/5/2019 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Cayuse dinner: This was eye-opening stuff. It has aged so well and seems to have a while to go. Rich, buttery but vibrant. Creamy, white tea, peaches, apricot, with complex honeycomb, chalk dust, hay, underlying minerals. Really delicious stuff.
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12/12/2018 - jfagan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bright yellow with gold accents. The nose is slowly showing preserved citrus, lanolin, spice and honey. Deep and powerful on the palate, the still primary flavors are showing citrus zest, spiced pear that are deep and concentrated but quite bright, young and juicy. The oak is nicely integrated with the fruit. While this continues to evolve at a glacial pace, it is a pleasure to drink now but will reward several more years in the cellar.
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10/7/2018 - wayfarer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep yellow, immediate rich nose, kind of citrus, pear, peach aged, bit of creme brulee, wonderful hints of smoke, herb, honey. All carried to palate. Perfectly balanced sweet and acid, with delightful changes on palate to a long finish that ended with a cleansing pop, deep and fresh at the same time. Nicely aged, seems at top form now.
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6/21/2018 - SMHalps wrote: 92 Points
With just a few of my 2013s left, I had this at a Washington State wine night w/ my wine group. While enjoying this, I felt I didn't enjoy it as much as in the past, as it was less lively than previous bottles of this vintage. Maybe its peaked? Still very good.
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12/16/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
I continue to like this WA state blend. I have a few more of the 2013s left, it will be interesting to see how they progress.
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8/27/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Not quite as good as my previous bottles of this vintage. But still very good. It went really well with Oysters.
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7/26/2017 - SeaCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful blend. Have drank 3 bottles this summer, and each has impressed.
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4/29/2017 - RockyII Likes this wine: 90 Points
PNP poolside at Cranes Beachhouse in Delray Beach. Golden straw color. Prominent nose of straw, butter, citrus (mostly grapefruit) and oak/almond. Taste is similar with crisp dry acidity, river stones and popcorn butter. Smooth buttery mouthfeel. Heavier than most Sauvignon blancs (probably due to semillion blend). More of a dinner wine than a poolside refresher. Nice. 90-91.
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3/11/2017 - skifree wrote: 88 Points
This was a very nice wine, but this bottle didn't sing like the last one - felt like the oak took away some of the freshness of the wine.
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1/22/2017 - goodvitis.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drink at a dinner party, no formal notes. This needs at least another year or two, however, before it'll hit its stride. Right now the barrel notes dominate the nose and palate, even after several hours of air exposure. There's a lot more complexity in this wine than it's presenting now.
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1/15/2017 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wine night with 7 other friends, we had: 2013 Delille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc , 2007 Paolo Conterno Barolo Ginestra Riserva, and the 2010 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion. The 2 reds where from magnums and they were 1/2 decanted with the rest sitting in the bottle, for 90 minutes before we started drinking them.
Once again, the Delille was a huge hit with my group. It went really well with the crab cakes and the fresh Oysters. Very dry, crisp acidity, with citrus, floral and mineral notes.
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12/9/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (I Nonni, St. Paul, MN): Tasted a small pour from another table. Didn't take any detailed notes. Noticeable oak influence, a bigger fuller body with bright citrus and tropical notes as I recall. 90(+?)pts.
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10/10/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 95 Points
Columbus Day Washington State Wine Night (Lincoln Square Steaks, NYC): This was a huge hit with my wine group. None of us had ever had it before. Dry, with a pleasing acidity, it had citrus and floral notes. Loved the way the Semillon tamed the Sauvignon Blanc. It had a much bigger body than straight Sauvignon Blancs have.
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6/28/2016 - 70Tondonia Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light gold in color, the wine has medium body and a good amount of acidity. Abundant citrus fruit and peel throughout mixed in with vanilla, peach, and a touch of nuttiness. Medium+ vibrant finish. Great ageing potential here.
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6/1/2016 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Drank over three days. Complex, fruit (white currant, lemongrass, dragon fruit, kumquat, guava), spice (white pepper, coriander, sage), and mineral-driven bouquet. Impressive weight, medium to medium plus acid, bracing and rounded mouthfeel, tangy finish of excellent length. The wine added weight on the second and third days, with ripe fruit with quality oak more forward. Very interesting. It should evolve over the next three to four years and handle beautifully through 2025+.
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5/13/2016 - garambler Likes this wine: 92 Points
We had this before dinner on 5/13/16. It had a deep, expressive bouquet of toast, hay, kiwi, guava, lime, herb and spice aromas. The palate was deep, layered and nicely acidic with flavors of kiwi, guava, lime, herb and spice.
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3/26/2016 - jmcmchi wrote: 91 Points
Coming into its own. Smoothness on palate leads to interesting citrus notes and buttery touch Long and balanced
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3/12/2016 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic white Bordeaux blend of Savignon Blanc and Semillon that coats the tongue with rich buttery smoothness. A treat on its own or with mild hard cheeses. Delightful.
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12/19/2015 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 93 Points
A wonderfully rich Bordeaux white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. It just oozes flavor and character and coats the palate. There is hazelnut, honey, and flower scents abounding. On the tongue it pops and then spreads a warm glow. I have never been disappointed with the Chaleur Estate Blanc from DeLille Cellars.
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12/13/2015 - skifree wrote: 91 Points
Brought to CT SEA December tasting with Maison Harbour. Good acidity, fruit, and depth as usual for this wine. This is one of my favorite whites from WA State.
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9/16/2015 - msuwine wrote: 90 Points
A crisp and refreshing white Bordeaux blend. Light yellow in color, light in body, nose of grapefruit and stone. Tastes of grapefruit, canteloupe, and saline, with a hint of lemon. The finish combines the crispness of Sauvignon Blanc (65%) with the thickness of Semillon (35%). 13.2% alcohol. This is a bit sharp for my taste, but it is refreshing nonetheless.
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6/27/2015 - jfagan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brilliant yellow/gold. Reticent nose of honey, wax, preserved lemon and just a touch of sweet spice. Rich, deep and full bodied, the flavors are very primary and unevolved with notes of citrus rind and roasted nuts. There is some youthful bitterness. I have about 15 years of experience with this wine and am confident that this will blossom with several years in the cellar. Took one for the team. This is just a baby. Drink 2018 through 2025.
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3/27/2015 - prism wrote:
Just a taste a few days after the gals drank most of the bottle; they liked it very much, as do I. A solid, consistent, lovely White Bordeaux Blend, sort of like getting Pavilion Blanc at a third the price.
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3/8/2015 - LaiJien Likes this wine: 90 Points
65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon, fermented 'sur lie' in French oak barrels. Bright, light gold. Nose of maple-cured bacon, lemon custard, and baking scents. Smooth and viscous with flavors of oak and lemon. I would mistake it for a chardonnay if I didn’t know better.
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2/21/2015 - jmcmchi wrote:
Improving
Mineral on nose and growing balance of the Semillon is showing good layering of fruit and nice acidic finish
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1/25/2015 - henryv Likes this wine: 90 Points
Can get smoky herbs and grasses. Very nice balance between fruit: citrus, lime, and tangy acid
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1/18/2015 - aChave Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great acidity with vanilla oak on the nose and a big, round mouth feel. This should age brilliantly for 5+ years; very fine.
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1/11/2015 - Shrages wrote: 94 Points
Wow. One of the most distinctive and impressive whites I've tasted in a couple of years. Crystalline. Clean, dense, subtly oaked nose. Amazing texturally with totally seamless silkiness that blew me away. Haunting flavors of hazlenut, hay, beeswax that are long long long (did I say long?), fading very slowly with that incredible texture. Can't wait to try it again.
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9/27/2014 - garambler Likes this wine: 92 Points
My wife and I tasted this at the Woodinville tasting room on 9/27/14. It had a deep, fresh and expressive bouquet of smoke, hay, kiwi, guava, citrus, vanilla and spice aromas. The palate was clean, fresh and dense with flavors of guava, kiwi, lime, toast, vanilla and spice.
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8/25/2014 - jmcmchi wrote: 90 Points
Smokey hay on nose. SB dominates palate at this stage. Nice sharpness underpinning green fruit. Long,long finish
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