Dinner at Basanti (Basanti): Served blind. I was WAY off here. This showed like a lean, basic Chenin Blanc to me. Like a cheaper Savennieres. Tight and lean in expression. Strong acidity. Thought I was getting lanolin on the nose but maybe that was the sheep I road in on. Impressive showing for a Chard from those vineyards ten years on in any case. I believe the James Berry Chard is the oldest vines at the site and usually gets sold to lesser producers.
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I have had this bottle for a longgg time, and it's the oldest bottle (or was) of my CA chard inventory. Figured it was time to try it, to pair with some Indian food later. I just opened this so take that FWIW and in the event I don't get to retaste this later, I at least can crank out some impressions. Smoky, mineral, piercing lemon with some curd and pippin apple, anise--totally alive at 10 years and quite remarkably youthful, too. In fact, and I don't say this often, there may be too much acid to fruit. This is pretty lasered in and I'll be very keen to see how this shows. I'm even going to blind this bottle, as it's tasting unique enough that I think I can stump some of the smart palates with it....the bottle got mixed results at the table. A couple people said a young wine and so it was surprising when I said it was a decade old. Another said simple, lacking acid yet another said the acid was fine. All said, I liked the wine and thought it was holding up well for its age and it's doing well at 10 years.
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It has been almost a year and a half since I opened a bottle and it has lost a little of its appeal, but having said that is is still an excellent chardonnay. White flowers on the nose, the palate was pear, melon and green apple, a touch of oak on the finish. I served it with a dish of sauteed shrimp with Pad Thai Noodles and greens. A perfect accompaniment.
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This is really killer on a hot, summer night and a great pairing with grilled salmon. The profile is at first lemony, but with more richness on the backend with a touch of vanilla. Some chaulky texture. Smooth, classy, long, tangy, lovely. Stylistically this is Californian first but with some French sensibilities and a mercifully restrained oak treatment. All it lacks is complexity. 91-92 pts.
Rich mouthfeel, without feeling "buttery" or over-oaked. Somewhere between the crisp minerality of a Chablis and the heaviness of a big Cali chard. Was best when first opened - developed some rough edges later in the evening.
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Really nice chardonnay, light yellow in color, the palate was melon, peach, nectarine, a touch of green apple and a little oak. Really nice finish. I would guess that it is in its prime drinking window and I am glad I waited and happy that I have more.
Bought at the winery, surprised to find it just as good if not better than when we bought it. Still very youthful and sprightly, but with a little more depth with 5 years in the bottle. Really, really darn good with great acidity and flinty minerality--a perfect halfway between Cali and Chablis. I should have bought more!
PnP, served non-blind over 2 nights. Absolutely stunning stuff. Vibrant, piercing aromas of sea shells, nectarine, peach, citrus spray, crunchy minerals, tangy apples and riverbed. Just a wisp of honey on the nose, but dry and very well balanced on the medium-bodied palate. Clean, long and chiseled; exceptionally pure and vibrant. I could smell this all night. very highly recommended, 12,9% abv. just brilliant, and totally at peak
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Every bit as good as when we tried it at the winery, it had a lovely sense of fruit (lemon and quince), just a hint of butter and a freshness that comes from no new oak. Medium-light in weight, it went well with grilled sockeye.
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A stellar chardonnay. The 'classic' note by Iasaladad must mean classic French, as you don't think classic Cali chard at <13% alc no new oak.
Was great when purchased, but like most high acid wines, a bit more bottle aging makes it even better a the acid integrates, softens, and shows even more harmony with the fruit.
For those in NorCal that dont know the Paso James Berry vineyard - this is a prized vineyard, and not inexpensive; yet to have a wine from here I didn't love.
Color: slightly cloudy. (bravo. I am f*cking loving the bravery in cloudy whites. time to follow suit.) A few tartrates fell out after 1/2 bottle spent the night in the fridge. (bravo again.)
Nose: Meyer lemon peel. Lemon custard. hint of white grapefruit. Starfruit.
On The Palate: The front palate is is all things lemon, intermingled with tropical fruit undertones. The mid palate, while bright, with some juicy-ness, has good weight & texture. The finish is pleasing, apple, citrus and baked lemon tart.
quite sad this was my only bottle. must cellar more of current vintage.
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I'm in love with this bottling. Sliced apples, quince paste, crushed rocks, seashells, a hint of baking bread. So, so fresh on the palate. Definitely not for BIG Cali-Chard lovers, which is to say if you like GC Chablis, this is your wine. Light-medium straw color, medium(-) body, above-average fruit quality and complexity. Just 12,9% abv, highly recommended. I prefer this somewhat lighter style to the 2010, but just by a hair. Drink thru 2015
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cloudy, fresh Honeycrisp apples, Asian pear and white flowers on the nose, light to medium bodied, terrific acid, throughout a palate of apple, lemon and mineral, intense on the finish with tart white fruit, really nice refreshing, light white with chardonnay character and raciness
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PnP. Cloudy, medium straw color. Well focused aromas of lemon, apple, sea-spray, fresh cut floral. I seldom drink (domestic) Chardonnay these days, and in fact, I only purchased these to have on hand for friends that enjoy domestic Chardonnay, but I would not hesitate for a moment to seek this out, in a store, or in a restaurant. At just 12,9% abv, this manages to provide the depth of fruit of a quality 1er with vibrant, natural acids offering just the right tension. The quality of the fruit is superb. highly recommended, drink thru 2017
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I agree with Siltons notes. This is a nice Chardonnay with minerally lemon fruit that turns a little bit tropical as it opens and warms. Rich but still crisp and complex. I also get a little almond and salted popcorn on the finish. Really nice. Unfortunately I only bought one.
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My 2nd one of these. The minerality of the wine was more dominant this time around. Just beautiful. The citrus came through on the pallette as well. No oak worth mentioning.
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Cloudy beautiful color. Love at first sight. Finesse driven medium yellow pear, minerals and wet gravel. Lively acidity with great precision. A fascinating wine. Great stuff. Highly recommended for a unique Chardonnay experience. These two World-class vineyards win again.
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Nice chardonnay from CA. Citric on the nose, floral hints, a bit of honey. Creamy on the palate, good acidity and a mineral ending. Good wine, with some more bottle will probably improve.
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Popped Thanksgiving weekend but never drank. Re-corked and put in cellar until last night (a week later). The little air it got really opened up some new flavors of tropical fruit to go along with the pear and cirtus. Fuller mouth than last time we had it. Really a treat with our meatless crimini mushroom fettucini. Very well done.
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Light straw color and a touch cloudy citrus, apple and pear with great acidity and a chalky element with no oak or butter - made in concrete tanks. Very refreshing, crisp and complex with nice body. What a nice break from your typical Cali Chard. Pax is anything but typical though. Great with food or alone.
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The chalky lemon verbana mineral nose remains, but the palate has broadened out further for me with spicy pear pie and tropical notes. It's got a richness with zip around the edges, and not a whiff of heat at any serving temperature. There is juxtaposition and character in this wine, and it isn't forced. I like this better every time I taste it. 91-92
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I found this disjointed and didn't love this at the open house and was actually somewhat regretting the purchase, but this bottle was complex and fresh, full of lemon, chalk, and, as some others noted, an intriguing combination of tropical apples and spicy mint as it opens up. Frank compares to Inox; Gary V to Kistler, and Frank is clearly right. Zippy acidity is not heat y'all, not that I'm claiming to always know the difference, in this case I'm really not getting any heat. We'll find out who is right in the next few years; I'll put a small wager on a Chablis-like evolution. I vacu-vinned this after an hour on day 1, skipped day 2 (busy) and day 3 was the best.
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This is a super interesting wine. Initially, lemony, citrus fruit notes, with chalk, minerals and crisp acidity on the finish. Remarkably, this really opened up and fleshed out to reveal more tropical notes over the next few hours. Great and young.
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I have drank this wine now a handful of times and I like it more and more. Listed alcohol of 12.9%. Made in concrete with no additions--straight up chard. Pineapple, pear and again like another past bottle, I find spearmint in the wine's finish! Golden delicious apple and a sweet core but it remains lean and lively, too.
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Forget everything you think you know about Cali chard. This is no syrupy butterball. Fresh fruit, clean, with a hunt of minerality. Dry but not tart or astringent.
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There's a a very interesting set of fruit and mineral flavors to this wine, but even at 12.9% ABV the finish is somewhat marked by heat. Air fleshes the wine out a bit & the sense of heat fades, but the balance is not quite right. I want to like this a lot more than I do.
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Modest aromas of apples pie, steely citrus, slate, dried flowers. More intensity on the palate with its doughy apple pie element. The finish is the best part – punchy, with highly focused fruit and intense chalky minerality. Very tight - I should have decanted. Could go another decade.
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I drank this at Falltacular, as well as bid on and won the mag of it but I really wanted to visit it again to get a good solid baseline for the wine, along with the predictor of how it will age with time. First, some specifics, based on the info I got from Pax. 12.7% alc, 3.23 ph and done in cement and stainless, then finished in older oak. The nose reminds me of the Melville Inox and the Diatom chards, showing sea shell, ocean air and green apple. The palate expresses honey, lemon and some light mineral, all in a medium frame. The finish lingers pretty well, with the same green apple and tangy lemon, even a hint of fennel. No marshmallow or vanilla here. Not as lean as the Inox and more like the Diatom in terms of the flavors and very nice.
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5/3/2018 - WetRock wrote:
Dinner at Basanti (Basanti): Served blind. I was WAY off here. This showed like a lean, basic Chenin Blanc to me. Like a cheaper Savennieres. Tight and lean in expression. Strong acidity. Thought I was getting lanolin on the nose but maybe that was the sheep I road in on. Impressive showing for a Chard from those vineyards ten years on in any case. I believe the James Berry Chard is the oldest vines at the site and usually gets sold to lesser producers.
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5/3/2018 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I have had this bottle for a longgg time, and it's the oldest bottle (or was) of my CA chard inventory. Figured it was time to try it, to pair with some Indian food later. I just opened this so take that FWIW and in the event I don't get to retaste this later, I at least can crank out some impressions. Smoky, mineral, piercing lemon with some curd and pippin apple, anise--totally alive at 10 years and quite remarkably youthful, too. In fact, and I don't say this often, there may be too much acid to fruit. This is pretty lasered in and I'll be very keen to see how this shows. I'm even going to blind this bottle, as it's tasting unique enough that I think I can stump some of the smart palates with it....the bottle got mixed results at the table. A couple people said a young wine and so it was surprising when I said it was a decade old. Another said simple, lacking acid yet another said the acid was fine. All said, I liked the wine and thought it was holding up well for its age and it's doing well at 10 years.
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10/8/2016 - markcic Likes this wine: 90 Points
It has been almost a year and a half since I opened a bottle and it has lost a little of its appeal, but having said that is is still an excellent chardonnay. White flowers on the nose, the palate was pear, melon and green apple, a touch of oak on the finish. I served it with a dish of sauteed shrimp with Pad Thai Noodles and greens. A perfect accompaniment.
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6/10/2016 - blanquito wrote: 91 Points
This is really killer on a hot, summer night and a great pairing with grilled salmon. The profile is at first lemony, but with more richness on the backend with a touch of vanilla. Some chaulky texture. Smooth, classy, long, tangy, lovely. Stylistically this is Californian first but with some French sensibilities and a mercifully restrained oak treatment. All it lacks is complexity. 91-92 pts.
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8/3/2015 - FLI Likes this wine: 89 Points
Rich mouthfeel, without feeling "buttery" or over-oaked. Somewhere between the crisp minerality of a Chablis and the heaviness of a big Cali chard. Was best when first opened - developed some rough edges later in the evening.
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6/21/2015 - markcic wrote: 92 Points
consistent with my previous notes on 5/2
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5/2/2015 - markcic Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice chardonnay, light yellow in color, the palate was melon, peach, nectarine, a touch of green apple and a little oak. Really nice finish. I would guess that it is in its prime drinking window and I am glad I waited and happy that I have more.
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4/18/2014 - tkinsley Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bought at the winery, surprised to find it just as good if not better than when we bought it. Still very youthful and sprightly, but with a little more depth with 5 years in the bottle. Really, really darn good with great acidity and flinty minerality--a perfect halfway between Cali and Chablis. I should have bought more!
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11/2/2013 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
PnP, served non-blind over 2 nights. Absolutely stunning stuff. Vibrant, piercing aromas of sea shells, nectarine, peach, citrus spray, crunchy minerals, tangy apples and riverbed. Just a wisp of honey on the nose, but dry and very well balanced on the medium-bodied palate. Clean, long and chiseled; exceptionally pure and vibrant. I could smell this all night. very highly recommended, 12,9% abv. just brilliant, and totally at peak
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4/23/2013 - MLipton wrote:
Every bit as good as when we tried it at the winery, it had a lovely sense of fruit (lemon and quince), just a hint of butter and a freshness that comes from no new oak. Medium-light in weight, it went well with grilled sockeye.
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2/16/2013 - SonomaWilliam wrote: 92 Points
A stellar chardonnay. The 'classic' note by Iasaladad must mean classic French, as you don't think classic Cali chard at <13% alc no new oak.
Was great when purchased, but like most high acid wines, a bit more bottle aging makes it even better a the acid integrates, softens, and shows even more harmony with the fruit.
For those in NorCal that dont know the Paso James Berry vineyard - this is a prized vineyard, and not inexpensive; yet to have a wine from here I didn't love.
Color: slightly cloudy. (bravo. I am f*cking loving the bravery in cloudy whites. time to follow suit.)
A few tartrates fell out after 1/2 bottle spent the night in the fridge. (bravo again.)
Nose: Meyer lemon peel. Lemon custard. hint of white grapefruit. Starfruit.
On The Palate: The front palate is is all things lemon, intermingled with tropical fruit undertones.
The mid palate, while bright, with some juicy-ness, has good weight & texture.
The finish is pleasing, apple, citrus and baked lemon tart.
quite sad this was my only bottle. must cellar more of current vintage.
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1/29/2013 - Isalasdad Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth, classic Chardonnay flavor with notes of apple and butter.
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12/21/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
I'm in love with this bottling. Sliced apples, quince paste, crushed rocks, seashells, a hint of baking bread. So, so fresh on the palate. Definitely not for BIG Cali-Chard lovers, which is to say if you like GC Chablis, this is your wine. Light-medium straw color, medium(-) body, above-average fruit quality and complexity. Just 12,9% abv, highly recommended. I prefer this somewhat lighter style to the 2010, but just by a hair. Drink thru 2015
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10/27/2012 - whits wrote: 89 Points
cloudy, fresh Honeycrisp apples, Asian pear and white flowers on the nose, light to medium bodied, terrific acid, throughout a palate of apple, lemon and mineral, intense on the finish with tart white fruit, really nice refreshing, light white with chardonnay character and raciness
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9/21/2012 - silton wrote: 93 Points
I loved this, best chard in a while and performing better than the trio consumed in 2010.
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6/30/2012 - borneman wrote: flawed
unfortunately this was slightly corked
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4/22/2012 - Tim Heaton wrote:
PnP. Cloudy, medium straw color. Well focused aromas of lemon, apple, sea-spray, fresh cut floral. I seldom drink (domestic) Chardonnay these days, and in fact, I only purchased these to have on hand for friends that enjoy domestic Chardonnay, but I would not hesitate for a moment to seek this out, in a store, or in a restaurant. At just 12,9% abv, this manages to provide the depth of fruit of a quality 1er with vibrant, natural acids offering just the right tension. The quality of the fruit is superb. highly recommended, drink thru 2017
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11/8/2011 - Outplaying wrote:
I agree with Siltons notes. This is a nice Chardonnay with minerally lemon fruit that turns a little bit tropical as it opens and warms. Rich but still crisp and complex. I also get a little almond and salted popcorn on the finish. Really nice. Unfortunately I only bought one.
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6/12/2011 - jgrapski wrote: 93 Points
My 2nd one of these. The minerality of the wine was more dominant this time around. Just beautiful. The citrus came through on the pallette as well. No oak worth mentioning.
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4/7/2011 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Cloudy beautiful color. Love at first sight.
Finesse driven medium yellow pear, minerals and wet gravel.
Lively acidity with great precision. A fascinating wine. Great stuff. Highly recommended for a unique Chardonnay experience.
These two World-class vineyards win again.
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3/31/2011 - Oruor wrote:
Nice chardonnay from CA. Citric on the nose, floral hints, a bit of honey. Creamy on the palate, good acidity and a mineral ending. Good wine, with some more bottle will probably improve.
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3/11/2011 - jgrapski wrote: 92 Points
My first one of these. Very well made and pleasant to drink. Mineral and citrus dominate the flavor profile. A bit creamy too.
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12/4/2010 - River Rat wrote: 92 Points
Popped Thanksgiving weekend but never drank. Re-corked and put in cellar until last night (a week later). The little air it got really opened up some new flavors of tropical fruit to go along with the pear and cirtus. Fuller mouth than last time we had it. Really a treat with our meatless crimini mushroom fettucini. Very well done.
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11/26/2010 - silton wrote:
Consistent with previous note. Well received by the group.
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9/24/2010 - borneman wrote:
Needs time to develop but notably long finish now with a little pepperiness at the end.
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7/25/2010 - River Rat wrote: 91 Points
Light straw color and a touch cloudy citrus, apple and pear with great acidity and a chalky element with no oak or butter - made in concrete tanks. Very refreshing, crisp and complex with nice body. What a nice break from your typical Cali Chard. Pax is anything but typical though. Great with food or alone.
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7/7/2010 - silton wrote: 92 Points
The chalky lemon verbana mineral nose remains, but the palate has broadened out further for me with spicy pear pie and tropical notes. It's got a richness with zip around the edges, and not a whiff of heat at any serving temperature. There is juxtaposition and character in this wine, and it isn't forced. I like this better every time I taste it. 91-92
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5/19/2010 - silton wrote: 91 Points
I found this disjointed and didn't love this at the open house and was actually somewhat regretting the purchase, but this bottle was complex and fresh, full of lemon, chalk, and, as some others noted, an intriguing combination of tropical apples and spicy mint as it opens up. Frank compares to Inox; Gary V to Kistler, and Frank is clearly right. Zippy acidity is not heat y'all, not that I'm claiming to always know the difference, in this case I'm really not getting any heat. We'll find out who is right in the next few years; I'll put a small wager on a Chablis-like evolution. I vacu-vinned this after an hour on day 1, skipped day 2 (busy) and day 3 was the best.
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5/18/2010 - rmodak wrote: 91 Points
This is a super interesting wine. Initially, lemony, citrus fruit notes, with chalk, minerals and crisp acidity on the finish. Remarkably, this really opened up and fleshed out to reveal more tropical notes over the next few hours. Great and young.
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4/24/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I have drank this wine now a handful of times and I like it more and more. Listed alcohol of 12.9%. Made in concrete with no additions--straight up chard. Pineapple, pear and again like another past bottle, I find spearmint in the wine's finish! Golden delicious apple and a sweet core but it remains lean and lively, too.
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4/12/2010 - FLI wrote: 90 Points
Forget everything you think you know about Cali chard. This is no syrupy butterball. Fresh fruit, clean, with a hunt of minerality. Dry but not tart or astringent.
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4/10/2010 - Rieslingfan wrote: 84 Points
There's a a very interesting set of fruit and mineral flavors to this wine, but even at 12.9% ABV the finish is somewhat marked by heat. Air fleshes the wine out a bit & the sense of heat fades, but the balance is not quite right. I want to like this a lot more than I do.
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3/25/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 88 Points
Modest aromas of apples pie, steely citrus, slate, dried flowers. More intensity on the palate with its doughy apple pie element. The finish is the best part – punchy, with highly focused fruit and intense chalky minerality. Very tight - I should have decanted. Could go another decade.
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1/30/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I drank this at Falltacular, as well as bid on and won the mag of it but I really wanted to visit it again to get a good solid baseline for the wine, along with the predictor of how it will age with time. First, some specifics, based on the info I got from Pax. 12.7% alc, 3.23 ph and done in cement and stainless, then finished in older oak. The nose reminds me of the Melville Inox and the Diatom chards, showing sea shell, ocean air and green apple. The palate expresses honey, lemon and some light mineral, all in a medium frame. The finish lingers pretty well, with the same green apple and tangy lemon, even a hint of fennel. No marshmallow or vanilla here. Not as lean as the Inox and more like the Diatom in terms of the flavors and very nice.
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