1988 Far Niente Chardonnay Cave Collection

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 100 points

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  4/17/2010 - The Professor wrote: 100 Points

  THIS WAS THE BOTTLE THAT LITERALLY CHANGED MY LIFE!
  
  I drank this bottle at the ten year mark, in college, in 1998. I went to the local campus' stop n rob to buy a bottle of Boon's Farm Strawberry wine (hey, its college!) and saw this bottle, immaculate, glistening gold on the top shelf of the wine aisle. Apparently it had been there for some time because the owners couldn't sell it and needed the shelf space...and had thereby reduced it to a "final sale" tag for $5. That's not a typo. Five dollars. I paid with one dollar bills. Knowing that Chardonnays, even the best of them, start moaning about Arthritis at age 4 I thought for sure that this would be a cooking wine at best....but the color bewildered me. (hear new age music here) It literally glowed a golden hue and radiated its florescent yellow straw color from within the bottle. I called the boys at Spec's to get a price quote and because it was so old, they couldn't give me one. A few guessed, if not tainted, that it could be valued at over $75 (in 1998). I seriously considered saving it for Christmas but...it kept whispering my name. Eventually, I caved in to its demand...to help it meet its destiny (all wines are meant to be drunk). I spent a day planning the perfect meal.
  
  If you've never had Walleye Pike, you're missing a small piece of heaven here on earth. A Frenchman from Tahiti once said it was the best fish he'd ever eaten in his entire life...the only exception might be, if one were to make a stretch, with that of the fresh water tahitian trout enjoyed in his early childhood. I went to the fishmonger and purchased some cleaned fillets of fresh native american line caught Walleye Pike, brought it home, and lit up the barbeque grill in the back yard. I marrinated the fillets in garlic butter and cooked them to perfection. We sat outside on a pic-nic table and I poured the wine that had been opened an hour earlier.
  
  Smooth as silk! The aromas, even in the open air, perfumed the entire area. It was unbelievable! It caressed the tongue and sides of the cheek with a softness never felt before. It immediately showed enormous complexity and multiple layers of flavors! Lemongrass, hints of lime, butter, fig, and a minerality of terroir not found in Napa. The mineral was extremely subtle and barely showed in the suppleness of the complexities gently and slowly exposeing themselves. Curious, I timed the finish that lasted about 90 seconds. It was a perfect pairing with the Walleye Pike.
  
  Whenever someone asks the perenial question asked of all wine lovers...Which bottle was it that did it for you? I tell them about the ten year old Chardonnay I bought in college.

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