Poured from a magnum. Could a 1988 Russian River Valley chardonnay possibly still be alive? The answer is yes, it was alive and it was kicking. The color was a medium-deep gold, and although the bottle had been standing up for a week and there was some sediment at the bottom, the wine showed definite cloudiness. It was fairly cold when first poured but as it warmed the nose became more pronounced, chardonnay fruit and perhaps just a touch of oak. On the palate, it showed a medium body and a definite structure with oak, acid, and still enough fruit to be in balance. It was more austere and nuanced than opulent and ripe and might be a good match with raw oysters.
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5/7/2005 - PaulH wrote: 87 Points
Poured from a magnum. Could a 1988 Russian River Valley chardonnay possibly still be alive? The answer is yes, it was alive and it was kicking. The color was a medium-deep gold, and although the bottle had been standing up for a week and there was some sediment at the bottom, the wine showed definite cloudiness. It was fairly cold when first poured but as it warmed the nose became more pronounced, chardonnay fruit and perhaps just a touch of oak. On the palate, it showed a medium body and a definite structure with oak, acid, and still enough fruit to be in balance. It was more austere and nuanced than opulent and ripe and might be a good match with raw oysters.
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