Light gold color. Nose of cool acacia, oyster shell, flint, white stone. Layers of creamy apple core, grapefruit, white pear, and dry chalky stone on the elegant palate. Vibrant acidity and mineral spine. Long finish of echoing white fruit, rinsed stone, austere citrus, and tensile structure. Most excellent.
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Third of three bottles purchased on release, and every bottle has been fantastic. Probably my favorite vintage of the Ceritas P-B. This was gorgeously layered, complex, vibrant, some jasmine, minerals, good acidity. So sorry I don't have more. From Zalto Universal stems; opened and started on it within a half-hour or so.
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Simply stunning. A citrus infused, pure and focused, perfectly balanced chardonnay. As good as the first bottle was over five years ago, this may be even better as it is so complex and beguiling. I would think this still has many years to develop even more.
Beautiful sea spray and mineral nose, medium rich, excellent intensity, perfect acidity and overall balance, hints of saline and mineral on the long finish. Drinking beautifully, though still very young. One of the best Cali Chards I've had.
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Pale gold color. Nose of hyacinth, grapefruit, granny apple, pineapple, schist. On the palate, delicous layers of peach, apricot, green apple, lychee, and pear hovering above a bedrock of iron filings and flint. Freshening acidity and tensile structure leading to a long finish of tart tropical fruit, white stone, and mineral grip. Stunning wine, uniquely Californian and built to last.
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On the Chard front, Ceritas continues to be one of my personal favorites. Notes similar to previous bottles. Good from the moment popped, but improved after half an hour or so of air. Drink now or hold.
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Yellow gold. Spicy nose ranging from baking spices like cinnamon all the way to anise. This enters the palate with baked apples along with some bright mandarin orange. The fruit is balanced and brightened by a firm acidic backbone. The texture is almost creamy, but no excess weight here. Clean and refreshing, minerals linger on the finish.
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Notes similar to previous bottle, only better as this has integrated nicely. A seamless, outstanding Chardonnay. Very enjoyable now, but no rush either.
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Clear yellow gold. Popped and poured and enjoyed over 5-6 hours. The nose was a mix of dill and mint at open and eventually opened up to offer some apples and a touch of pineapple to mix with the herbal aromas. This really took off at about three hours after opening. It began on the mid palate quite tight and giving some bits of apple and pear, but the oak was a bit more prominent than I remember from the last bottle. With air, this took off and had that wonderfully balanced texture between creamy and lean. Nice acidity and some tropical fruit and a hint of anise showed up on the back of the palate. Great length.
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This was a pop 'n pour, consumed over the course of an hour. Intoxicating aromas, with a core of citrus, and an ever so slight hint of oak (but very much as a background note). Palate is lemony and creamy at the same time, strikingly pure and focused, juicy and refreshing. Intoxicating wine with pinpoint balance and judicious use of oak. Seems like this was a "wow" wine for all four of us. Simply stunning.
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Opened and slow ox'd a couple of hours before serving. The nose was a great mix of flowers, tropical and citrus fruit. A full bodied Chardonnay, this picked up weight with air and showed great intensity. The mouthfeel was refreshing, and the wine showed high acidity, but many modern characteristics were present. Tropical fruit, a hint of vanilla and plenty of fleshy meyer lemon and green apple. What floored me was the finish. Unbelievably long, and with lingering complexity one struggles to find words for.
Excellent and highly recommended!
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Honeysuckle, lemon zest, flower petals and lots of acid - almost mouth drying on the way out. A nice rose petal finish with layers of citrus. The mineral elements are strong but not overwhelming in any regard and I get little buttery substance - the wine is rich but in a refreshing sense, not a flabby one. Very balanced wine with a lot of substance. I don't drink a lot of Chardonnays but this compels me to do so. Tremendous wine, impression making. Big fan...
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Too young for us to be drinking but it sure tastes good anyway. Lemon and apples with a whole lot of intensity. Great balancing acidity and fruit. This is really going to be something with some time on it.
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Exquisitely balanced, beautifully poised Chardonnay, displaying an unusual level of restraint for California. Despite its obvious power and complexity, this wine is the epitome of refinement: gently creamy, subtle notes of apricot, lemon, peach and vanilla, and a taught core of minerality, ending in a graceful finish with a delightful acidity and herbaceousness. A truly splendid wine that will likely become more interesting as it ages. Had the very good fortune to drink this at Per Se in New York.
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Pale gold color. Nose of citrus, flint, honeysuckle, some oak. Pure, drenching grapefruit, lime, and applecore flavors and integrated vanilla oak notes noticeably freshened by ample acidity. Lovely mineral finish with zip and waves of sweet lemons. Already outstanding, should get better as oak fades.
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Walks the line between chalky, face powder minerality, chablis structure and Californian lychee fruit, creme brulee and a touch of green apple skin. In the mouth it is defined by effervescent minerals and racy acids. Rich but aristocratic. Should age beautifully.
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Bright golden yellow color, medium body, incredible aromatics of lemon, vanilla, and a hint of baked apple. Rich mouthfeel, but balanced by fresh acidity and just enough oak-driven vanilla to soften the lemon flavor and create a wonderful lemon curd. This wine nailed it.
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Nose had a bit more oak than I expected, plus a lemon curd note, but there was nice acidity and minerality on the palate keeping things fresh. I'd say the note by dtodd was right on. Balance here suggests this will age nicely.
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A buttery bouquet. The palate is not an oak monster like I was expecting from the smell, but instead is mineral driven with a nice balance of acidity. To be sure, this is still a California wine and is not a Chablis, but I could drink this all day.
Pretty darn good, though I'm kind of wondering why I continually rate my favorite Chardonnays at exactly 92 points...
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To my palate this was a fairly rich style. Some peach, but also oak and butter. Acidity present, but not particularly crisp. Nice wine if you enjoy this style.
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Notes from RRV Barrel Tasting 2010: Only recently bottled, but drinking very well. This is concentrated and intense, without being ripe in any way. Low oak presence, great acidity, fabulous complexity. The ultra-low yields in 08 brought some exceptional depth to this and the Pinot, in some ways almost painfully intense. Some time in the bottle will do this good, and smooth out the sharp profile. An exceptional California Chardonnay in the making, should be one to live for many years.
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6/19/2021 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Light gold color. Nose of cool acacia, oyster shell, flint, white stone. Layers of creamy apple core, grapefruit, white pear, and dry chalky stone on the elegant palate. Vibrant acidity and mineral spine. Long finish of echoing white fruit, rinsed stone, austere citrus, and tensile structure. Most excellent.
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5/7/2020 - xwine wrote:
Third of three bottles purchased on release, and every bottle has been fantastic. Probably my favorite vintage of the Ceritas P-B. This was gorgeously layered, complex, vibrant, some jasmine, minerals, good acidity. So sorry I don't have more. From Zalto Universal stems; opened and started on it within a half-hour or so.
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11/3/2016 - xwine wrote:
Simply stunning. A citrus infused, pure and focused, perfectly balanced chardonnay. As good as the first bottle was over five years ago, this may be even better as it is so complex and beguiling. I would think this still has many years to develop even more.
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10/28/2016 - alanr wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful sea spray and mineral nose, medium rich, excellent intensity, perfect acidity and overall balance, hints of saline and mineral on the long finish. Drinking beautifully, though still very young. One of the best Cali Chards I've had.
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11/22/2015 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Pale gold color. Nose of hyacinth, grapefruit, granny apple, pineapple, schist. On the palate, delicous layers of peach, apricot, green apple, lychee, and pear hovering above a bedrock of iron filings and flint. Freshening acidity and tensile structure leading to a long finish of tart tropical fruit, white stone, and mineral grip. Stunning wine, uniquely Californian and built to last.
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5/11/2012 - B Paul wrote: 92 Points
On the Chard front, Ceritas continues to be one of my personal favorites. Notes similar to previous bottles. Good from the moment popped, but improved after half an hour or so of air. Drink now or hold.
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11/4/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Yellow gold. Spicy nose ranging from baking spices like cinnamon all the way to anise. This enters the palate with baked apples along with some bright mandarin orange. The fruit is balanced and brightened by a firm acidic backbone. The texture is almost creamy, but no excess weight here. Clean and refreshing, minerals linger on the finish.
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9/29/2011 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Notes similar to previous bottle, only better as this has integrated nicely. A seamless, outstanding Chardonnay. Very enjoyable now, but no rush either.
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9/4/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Clear yellow gold. Popped and poured and enjoyed over 5-6 hours. The nose was a mix of dill and mint at open and eventually opened up to offer some apples and a touch of pineapple to mix with the herbal aromas. This really took off at about three hours after opening. It began on the mid palate quite tight and giving some bits of apple and pear, but the oak was a bit more prominent than I remember from the last bottle. With air, this took off and had that wonderfully balanced texture between creamy and lean. Nice acidity and some tropical fruit and a hint of anise showed up on the back of the palate. Great length.
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8/28/2011 - DuaneT wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with previous notes. This may be my favorite CA chardonnay.
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6/25/2011 - xwine wrote:
This was a pop 'n pour, consumed over the course of an hour. Intoxicating aromas, with a core of citrus, and an ever so slight hint of oak (but very much as a background note). Palate is lemony and creamy at the same time, strikingly pure and focused, juicy and refreshing. Intoxicating wine with pinpoint balance and judicious use of oak. Seems like this was a "wow" wine for all four of us. Simply stunning.
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5/30/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote:
Opened and slow ox'd a couple of hours before serving. The nose was a great mix of flowers, tropical and citrus fruit. A full bodied Chardonnay, this picked up weight with air and showed great intensity. The mouthfeel was refreshing, and the wine showed high acidity, but many modern characteristics were present. Tropical fruit, a hint of vanilla and plenty of fleshy meyer lemon and green apple. What floored me was the finish. Unbelievably long, and with lingering complexity one struggles to find words for.
Excellent and highly recommended!
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5/28/2011 - LanceEA wrote: 93 Points
Honeysuckle, lemon zest, flower petals and lots of acid - almost mouth drying on the way out. A nice rose petal finish with layers of citrus. The mineral elements are strong but not overwhelming in any regard and I get little buttery substance - the wine is rich but in a refreshing sense, not a flabby one. Very balanced wine with a lot of substance. I don't drink a lot of Chardonnays but this compels me to do so. Tremendous wine, impression making. Big fan...
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5/18/2011 - pismo45 wrote: 92 Points
Too young for us to be drinking but it sure tastes good anyway. Lemon and apples with a whole lot of intensity. Great balancing acidity and fruit. This is really going to be something with some time on it.
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5/13/2011 - ricard Likes this wine: 93 Points
Exquisitely balanced, beautifully poised Chardonnay, displaying an unusual level of restraint for California. Despite its obvious power and complexity, this wine is the epitome of refinement: gently creamy, subtle notes of apricot, lemon, peach and vanilla, and a taught core of minerality, ending in a graceful finish with a delightful acidity and herbaceousness. A truly splendid wine that will likely become more interesting as it ages. Had the very good fortune to drink this at Per Se in New York.
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4/26/2011 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Pale gold color. Nose of citrus, flint, honeysuckle, some oak. Pure, drenching grapefruit, lime, and applecore flavors and integrated vanilla oak notes noticeably freshened by ample acidity. Lovely mineral finish with zip and waves of sweet lemons. Already outstanding, should get better as oak fades.
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4/23/2011 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
Walks the line between chalky, face powder minerality, chablis structure and Californian lychee fruit, creme brulee and a touch of green apple skin. In the mouth it is defined by effervescent minerals and racy acids. Rich but aristocratic. Should age beautifully.
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3/16/2011 - sdatl Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bright golden yellow color, medium body, incredible aromatics of lemon, vanilla, and a hint of baked apple. Rich mouthfeel, but balanced by fresh acidity and just enough oak-driven vanilla to soften the lemon flavor and create a wonderful lemon curd. This wine nailed it.
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1/26/2011 - B Paul wrote: 92 Points
Nose had a bit more oak than I expected, plus a lemon curd note, but there was nice acidity and minerality on the palate keeping things fresh. I'd say the note by dtodd was right on. Balance here suggests this will age nicely.
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1/26/2011 - DuaneT wrote: 92 Points
A buttery bouquet. The palate is not an oak monster like I was expecting from the smell, but instead is mineral driven with a nice balance of acidity. To be sure, this is still a California wine and is not a Chablis, but I could drink this all day.
Pretty darn good, though I'm kind of wondering why I continually rate my favorite Chardonnays at exactly 92 points...
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1/1/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 90 Points
To my palate this was a fairly rich style. Some peach, but also oak and butter. Acidity present, but not particularly crisp. Nice wine if you enjoy this style.
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3/15/2010 - alanr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Notes from RRV Barrel Tasting 2010: Only recently bottled, but drinking very well. This is concentrated and intense, without being ripe in any way. Low oak presence, great acidity, fabulous complexity. The ultra-low yields in 08 brought some exceptional depth to this and the Pinot, in some ways almost painfully intense. Some time in the bottle will do this good, and smooth out the sharp profile. An exceptional California Chardonnay in the making, should be one to live for many years.
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