This Walker Hill Chard is still very much at the top of its game. Excellent fruit with modest oak, went exceptionally well with our shrimp pasta dinner. The 2021 end-date is way too short, suggesting 2024.
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A wonderful Russian River Valley Chard. Very well balanced and a joy to drink. Tropical fruit flavors, apple, butterscotch, and cream. Great with food.
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a Chardonnay I love and have had several bottles of. Tropical fruit, butterscotch, cream, orange. Balanced, great mouthfeel. After each swallow I was amazed at how delightful it was. Great with food, especially baked white fish.
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My third and final bottle, one of the best as well. This shows no sign of age or tiredness and is just as fresh with perhaps slightly more developed orchard fruit, peaches, nectarines, butterscotch, nutty pastries. The palate is rich but not fat, with focus and tension, lush and juicy fruit, sweet spices with a salty and lingering finish.
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Nice mouthful of tropical (pineapple) fruit. I agree with the butterscotch characterization but it's not overpowering -- the fruit and oak are nicely balanced. Reminds me of the Beringer PR but not as heavy. Matched well with a sole almondine.
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Hard to capture in words the unique and wonderful flavors in this wine. Mandarin orange, lemongrass, lemon. Finish of butterscotch. Excellent balance and integration. Every mouthful was delicious and captured my full attention.
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One off purchase (about $50) from the winery on a tasting just about 2 years ago. Opened with 1 oz pour, then let sit for 45 minute or so before 1st glass. On the nose, notes of green apple, sweet pear with a slight scent of white flowers. Similar on the palate with a lesser sweet note of butterscotch perfectly balanced by a tart note of lemon-lime and cumquat. Medium gold, light to medium bodied, light legs. Good persistence and complexity, no heat. Slightly saline and creamy, but no butter and minimal oak. Stylistically, much like Ramey, this splits the difference between burgundy-inflected chards like Rhys and opulent California bottlings from Peter Michael and Aubert. Perfectly balanced, elegant, and with its medium but well-integrated acidity, very food friendly, this is another top shelf single vineyard wine from this a consistently first rate, medium-priced house. Should have at least a few years at this level. Great job, as always, DG! 94
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Toasted brioche, butterscotch, butter popcorn, along with ripe Asian pear, yellow apple, soft acidity with a round and elegant finish. True Sonoma Chard.
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Yes it is this good! Stone fruit, citrus and light tropical fruits on the nose, the palate I found notes of pineapple, citrus peel, lemon meringue pie with a soft elegant finish, acidity reasonably low which means this probably cannot keep for more than 3-4 years. However this is just so complete and complex. This finish goes on and on and on,Wow just wow!
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@ Dutton-Goldfield Winery. We were luck at the end of our tasting to try the new 2015. What a highlight, wow! Beautiful notes of lemon curd, creme brûlée. Beautiful finish, long and elegant. This is hitting way above i's price point. I picked up 3 bottles and will not touch them for a couple of years. I believe this could pick up another point or so.
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8/10/2021 - Terramare Likes this wine: 94 Points
This Walker Hill Chard is still very much at the top of its game. Excellent fruit with modest oak, went exceptionally well with our shrimp pasta dinner. The 2021 end-date is way too short, suggesting 2024.
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4/1/2021 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 92 Points
A wonderful Russian River Valley Chard. Very well balanced and a joy to drink. Tropical fruit flavors, apple, butterscotch, and cream. Great with food.
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1/14/2021 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 94 Points
a Chardonnay I love and have had several bottles of. Tropical fruit, butterscotch, cream, orange. Balanced, great mouthfeel. After each swallow I was amazed at how delightful it was. Great with food, especially baked white fish.
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1/10/2021 - Alexander Smith wrote: 94 Points
My third and final bottle, one of the best as well. This shows no sign of age or tiredness and is just as fresh with perhaps slightly more developed orchard fruit, peaches, nectarines, butterscotch, nutty pastries. The palate is rich but not fat, with focus and tension, lush and juicy fruit, sweet spices with a salty and lingering finish.
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11/15/2020 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 94 Points
Recently had this and enjoyed it so much I bought 3 more bottles. This was as enjoyable as the first one. Same notes apply.
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11/4/2020 - BoulderWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice mouthful of tropical (pineapple) fruit. I agree with the butterscotch characterization but it's not overpowering -- the fruit and oak are nicely balanced. Reminds me of the Beringer PR but not as heavy. Matched well with a sole almondine.
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10/22/2020 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hard to capture in words the unique and wonderful flavors in this wine. Mandarin orange, lemongrass, lemon. Finish of butterscotch. Excellent balance and integration. Every mouthful was delicious and captured my full attention.
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4/4/2020 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
One off purchase (about $50) from the winery on a tasting just about 2 years ago. Opened with 1 oz pour, then let sit for 45 minute or so before 1st glass. On the nose, notes of green apple, sweet pear with a slight scent of white flowers. Similar on the palate with a lesser sweet note of butterscotch perfectly balanced by a tart note of lemon-lime and cumquat. Medium gold, light to medium bodied, light legs. Good persistence and complexity, no heat. Slightly saline and creamy, but no butter and minimal oak. Stylistically, much like Ramey, this splits the difference between burgundy-inflected chards like Rhys and opulent California bottlings from Peter Michael and Aubert. Perfectly balanced, elegant, and with its medium but well-integrated acidity, very food friendly, this is another top shelf single vineyard wine from this a consistently first rate, medium-priced house. Should have at least a few years at this level. Great job, as always, DG! 94
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6/20/2019 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 95 Points
Toasted brioche, butterscotch, butter popcorn, along with ripe Asian pear, yellow apple, soft acidity with a round and elegant finish. True Sonoma Chard.
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5/27/2019 - RustyI Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic! Crisp, soft, light fruit, really lovely
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7/8/2018 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 96 Points
Yes it is this good! Stone fruit, citrus and light tropical fruits on the nose, the palate I found notes of pineapple, citrus peel, lemon meringue pie with a soft elegant finish, acidity reasonably low which means this probably cannot keep for more than 3-4 years. However this is just so complete and complex. This finish goes on and on and on,Wow just wow!
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12/2/2017 - CJM wrote: 90 Points
Clear straw. Apricot, light oak, rose petals. Low acids, very low tannins. Lemon curd. Short balanced finish. Tasting room.
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9/1/2017 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 96 Points
@ Dutton-Goldfield Winery. We were luck at the end of our tasting to try the new 2015. What a highlight, wow! Beautiful notes of lemon curd, creme brûlée. Beautiful finish, long and elegant. This is hitting way above i's price point. I picked up 3 bottles and will not touch them for a couple of years. I believe this could pick up another point or so.
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