Wonderful wine, complex, balanced with citrus, "minerality", as good or better than most Chassagne 1er cru. This is a wine that will cause me to not believe the validity of Drink By dates any longer. This one should have been drunk by 2014...
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Light yellow color, very floral citrus and wet stone aromas, dense citrus, vanilla, and mineral on palate, very smooth with a super long finish. Very rich, served with tarragon chicken.
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Shimmering gold in color. 14.2% ABV. Sensational nose of honeysuckle, lemon oil and pears. Full bodied with bright, racy acidity. Just a hint of toasty oak. Lemon curd, peach, apple and minerals on the palate. The wine finishes strong. At or slightly past it's prime but delicious nonetheless. Drink over the next year.
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A great expression of well-aged RRV Chardonnay. It had all the weight and muscle of a bold Cali chard with all of the elegance and grace of a white burgundy. Deep golden color, almost slightly oxidized. Round, mildly buttery but not too rich. Nicely integrated acid to counterbalance and a soothing, long finish. I think this wine is at its peak and won't improve, so drink up.
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Medium-bright gold color. Aromas of toast with lemon curd, buttered pineapple, and a hint of popcorn. Palate has rich, toasty, nutty, lemon and pineapple fruit with vanilla and some crystalized ginger on a medium-long finish. A big wine and showing well to my tastes. Drink.
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Great expression of Cali Chard. Focused, citrus core, nice toast, not overly oaked. A food wine. Herbal notes on the nose, palate that tends more toward the savory end. Enjoyable. Would pair more with veg than seafood. Despite the age, still very fresh.
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I am writing more and more overly positive tasting notes, I know. But I guess that depends on the wines mostly come from my personal cellar, which of course contains only wines I know I love. Tonight the 2007 Rochioli River Block Chardonnay is performing outstandingly well. The nose is full of the very classy deep Chardonnay fruit, honeysuckle, white flowers, caramel peach, wet granite and a subtle well integrated touch of oak. The palate is full-bodied and displays a vivid array of all the necessary components: fruit, oak and acidity, yet there is full and lucid integration. Very impressive. If there is one thing that stands out, it is the brilliant acidity which adds an extra dimension and makes this effort a super combination to food. (Served to back of North Sea cod, summer potatoes, dill, clarified butter, fresh Strömstad shrimp and lemon juice - a very traditional Swedish dish and excellent when served to the 07 River Block.)
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Amazing acidity. This could easily be guessed as a french burgundy blind. Jusrt got the email release of the 2010 and based on this bottle I'm definitely going to buy at least six bottles of the new release
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14.2% alcohol. This is top-notch California Chardonnay. Medium yellow color. Lovely bouquet of apple, pear, minerals, and a light touch of oak. The bouquet is all about balance and purity, with no heavy-handed elements. In the mouth, this wine has exquisite precision, with terrific, slightly tart fruit that shows citrus oil undertones, fig, spice, and bright, tangy acidity. Long finish sails on with a lightly oaky note. Top quality here. A
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Popped and poured. Light greenish gold; rich peach, pear, spice on the nose. Quite rich on the palate with a good acid kick to make it interesting and quite a long finish.
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Joan and I loved this wine. It has wonderful bright acidity that is a joy to drink. The wood is not overdone as it is with so many California chards. A beautiful wine that I'm thrilled to have four more bottles of. Drinking great now it should hold for at least four more years. Who knows it might even improve over the coming 2-3 years.
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Corked! What a drag, was really looking forward to it. It wasn't undrinkable, and in fact we drank it! Only mildly corked, if you stripped that away (which was hard), you could see this would have been a beauty. Unfortunately, this was my only bottle
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Golden yellow color. Fruit nose. Tastes of peach, and citrus. Well balanced with refreshing acidity. Citrus finish with depth and complexity. Beautifully fresh and crisp.
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A very nice example of California Chardonnay. Summer meadows, honey, melon, pineapple, butter... Everything is perfectly in place. The heat is a bit disappointing though, but the overall impression is very positive. Recommended.
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Lovely rich and voluptuous bottling. Laced with bright golden fruit, minerality and some nice light pepper. Honey, vanilla, peach, and spring flowers lend a lovely finish with a gorgeous mouth feel and stunning acidity.
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Pear, lemon curd, roasted nut and a little honey. Also a prominent minerality - one of the few times I thought of the Parkerism "liquified rocks". Creamy but fresh on the palate. Very good length on the finish which displays more nutty oak, minerality and citrus. I like the minerality but could use a litttle more acid.
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very bright lemon fruit upon opening. that has settled down, and there is a nicer blend of citrus with air/time, but the wine comes off muddled in the midpalate. i'm hoping it's just young. i normally drink domestic chards with 4-5 years of age as a preference. what worries me is that the acid ain't that good.
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Aromatically - dirty socks, apple, white flower, slight stone fruit aspect. Very fat and soft palate that indicated full malolactic fermentation. Flavor intensity 7/10. Enjoyable for this price point.
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11/1/2020 - MichelPlatini wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful wine, complex, balanced with citrus, "minerality", as good or better than most Chassagne 1er cru. This is a wine that will cause me to not believe the validity of Drink By dates any longer. This one should have been drunk by 2014...
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11/10/2017 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Light yellow color, very floral citrus and wet stone aromas, dense citrus, vanilla, and mineral on palate, very smooth with a super long finish. Very rich, served with tarragon chicken.
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6/23/2016 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
Shimmering gold in color. 14.2% ABV. Sensational nose of honeysuckle, lemon oil and pears. Full bodied with bright, racy acidity. Just a hint of toasty oak. Lemon curd, peach, apple and minerals on the palate. The wine finishes strong. At or slightly past it's prime but delicious nonetheless. Drink over the next year.
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11/15/2015 - DRK III Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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8/22/2015 - Lunan wrote: 93 Points
finally, the fruit is fading (2015)
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1/28/2015 - DRK III Likes this wine: 93 Points
A great expression of well-aged RRV Chardonnay. It had all the weight and muscle of a bold Cali chard with all of the elegance and grace of a white burgundy. Deep golden color, almost slightly oxidized. Round, mildly buttery but not too rich. Nicely integrated acid to counterbalance and a soothing, long finish. I think this wine is at its peak and won't improve, so drink up.
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11/3/2013 - fredb Likes this wine:
Medium-bright gold color. Aromas of toast with lemon curd, buttered pineapple, and a hint of popcorn. Palate has rich, toasty, nutty, lemon and pineapple fruit with vanilla and some crystalized ginger on a medium-long finish. A big wine and showing well to my tastes. Drink.
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9/6/2013 - btock wrote: 91 Points
Great expression of Cali Chard. Focused, citrus core, nice toast, not overly oaked. A food wine. Herbal notes on the nose, palate that tends more toward the savory end. Enjoyable. Would pair more with veg than seafood. Despite the age, still very fresh.
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6/30/2012 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I am writing more and more overly positive tasting notes, I know. But I guess that depends on the wines mostly come from my personal cellar, which of course contains only wines I know I love. Tonight the 2007 Rochioli River Block Chardonnay is performing outstandingly well. The nose is full of the very classy deep Chardonnay fruit, honeysuckle, white flowers, caramel peach, wet granite and a subtle well integrated touch of oak. The palate is full-bodied and displays a vivid array of all the necessary components: fruit, oak and acidity, yet there is full and lucid integration. Very impressive. If there is one thing that stands out, it is the brilliant acidity which adds an extra dimension and makes this effort a super combination to food. (Served to back of North Sea cod, summer potatoes, dill, clarified butter, fresh Strömstad shrimp and lemon juice - a very traditional Swedish dish and excellent when served to the 07 River Block.)
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4/16/2012 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
Amazing acidity. This could easily be guessed as a french burgundy blind. Jusrt got the email release of the 2010 and based on this bottle I'm definitely going to buy at least six bottles of the new release
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12/13/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
14.2% alcohol. This is top-notch California Chardonnay. Medium yellow color. Lovely bouquet of apple, pear, minerals, and a light touch of oak. The bouquet is all about balance and purity, with no heavy-handed elements. In the mouth, this wine has exquisite precision, with terrific, slightly tart fruit that shows citrus oil undertones, fig, spice, and bright, tangy acidity. Long finish sails on with a lightly oaky note. Top quality here. A
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10/12/2011 - Didman wrote: 93 Points
Nice balance with just a pleasant touch of oak. More minerally than buttery, and plenty of fruit.
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10/5/2011 - rosenst1 wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Light greenish gold; rich peach, pear, spice on the nose. Quite rich on the palate with a good acid kick to make it interesting and quite a long finish.
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8/31/2011 - paulst wrote: 92 Points
Well balanced, soft,smooth, creamy with nice apricot and creamy-tangerine.
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8/29/2011 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
Joan and I loved this wine. It has wonderful bright acidity that is a joy to drink. The wood is not overdone as it is with so many California chards. A beautiful wine that I'm thrilled to have four more bottles of. Drinking great now it should hold for at least four more years. Who knows it might even improve over the coming 2-3 years.
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4/10/2011 - blaine wrote: flawed
Corked! What a drag, was really looking forward to it. It wasn't undrinkable, and in fact we drank it! Only mildly corked, if you stripped that away (which was hard), you could see this would have been a beauty. Unfortunately, this was my only bottle
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3/12/2011 - ADiamond wrote: 92 Points
Golden yellow color. Fruit nose. Tastes of peach, and citrus. Well balanced with refreshing acidity. Citrus finish with depth and complexity. Beautifully fresh and crisp.
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9/22/2010 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very nice example of California Chardonnay. Summer meadows, honey, melon, pineapple, butter... Everything is perfectly in place. The heat is a bit disappointing though, but the overall impression is very positive. Recommended.
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7/29/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Lovely rich and voluptuous bottling. Laced with bright golden fruit, minerality and some nice light pepper.
Honey, vanilla, peach, and spring flowers lend a lovely finish with a gorgeous mouth feel and stunning acidity.
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6/9/2010 - kstoddard wrote: 89 Points
Jeff Nowak's Tasting Of Wines That Really Blow Part II: This Time It's Personal: Golden yellow color. Tropical fruit nose with some vanilla oak. Tastes of apple, melon, and lime with an enormous oak backbone. Well balanced with refreshing acidity. Lime citrus finish with some depth and complexity. 14.2% alcohol.
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5/19/2010 - jc-mmb wrote: 88 Points
oaky, slightly hot, lemon and some spice. rally flabby on the palate. just awkward.
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2/7/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Pear, lemon curd, roasted nut and a little honey. Also a prominent minerality - one of the few times I thought of the Parkerism "liquified rocks". Creamy but fresh on the palate. Very good length on the finish which displays more nutty oak, minerality and citrus. I like the minerality but could use a litttle more acid.
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11/5/2009 - jeff nowak wrote:
very bright lemon fruit upon opening. that has settled down, and there is a nicer blend of citrus with air/time, but the wine comes off muddled in the midpalate. i'm hoping it's just young. i normally drink domestic chards with 4-5 years of age as a preference. what worries me is that the acid ain't that good.
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7/7/2009 - PontetCanet wrote: 85 Points
Pretty straightforward and simple. Very primary and young, obviously. Nothing too special.
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4/30/2009 - Harrypotter wrote: 88 Points
Aromatically - dirty socks, apple, white flower, slight stone fruit aspect. Very fat and soft palate that indicated full malolactic fermentation. Flavor intensity 7/10. Enjoyable for this price point.
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