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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2009 and 2012 (based on 4 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 87.8 pts. and median of 88 pts. in 73 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by joekroe on 4/27/2014 & rated 84 points: Butterscotch and vanilla dominate this. The fruits are muted. You would like a wine like this to express its terrior and not the oak it was aged in. (3808 views) | | | Tasted by redbrix on 10/9/2013 & rated 87 points: Deep yellow color with butter, oak and vanilla nose. Smooth butter, vanilla and butterscotch flavors. Lighter side. (4242 views) | | | Tasted by carlsport on 5/7/2011 & rated 85 points: Wife rating - no notes. (7763 views) | | | Tasted by jsturdivant on 2/9/2011 & rated 88 points: Pale golden color in the glass. Appealing for a chardonnay. Scents of apples, honey, vanilla, and maybe butterscotch. Nice acidity with buttery mouth feel and nice oak on the palate. (8199 views) | | | Tasted by frockaloid on 1/29/2011 & rated 88 points: The more I drink of this, the more I like it
The oak is prominent, sherry-like (8242 views) | | | Tasted by joshwoodward on 1/11/2011 & rated 88 points: Popped and poured, served slightly warm, which probably didn't help. Off nose that mostly blew off - slightly corky? But on the palate, a slightly one-dimensional butterscotch note took over, with an interesting salinity. Great acidity and concentration. I'm not feeling this bottle as much as the others, but it's still very tasty. $17 (4987 views) | | | Tasted by TexasBob on 12/24/2010 & rated 83 points: Pale yellow with a golden tinge. Green apples with perhaps a touch of lemon and faint honey on the nose. Strong gooseberry with a fairly strong and somewhat bitter lemon burst at the mid-palate with a fairly long finish that blends the two notes well. I briefly detected strong coconut as well. Acids are a bit aggressive for my liking. My scoring is likely heavily deflated by my general preference for reds. (4705 views) | | | Tasted by drusa17 on 11/20/2010 & rated 87 points: Pale golden color. Apples and pear, vanilla and smoky toast. Nice acidity, not an over-oaked, buttery fruit bomb, fairly restrained, medium body, nicely balanced. (3966 views) | | | Tasted by joshwoodward on 10/17/2010 & rated 90 points: Popped and poured. This one never disappoints, especially on QPR. It has all of the elements I like in Chardonnay - moderate ripeness, judicious oak, a hint of pear, nice acidity. It's nothing super-complex, but it challenges the notion that the US can only produce butterballs and France has a monopoly of restraint. $17 (4202 views) | | | Tasted by nogohawk on 10/9/2010 & rated 88 points: Drank over several notes - VG chard - same notes a before (4235 views) | | | Tasted by nogohawk on 10/1/2010 & rated 88 points: VG chard - good QPR (4309 views) | | | Tasted by frockaloid on 9/5/2010 & rated 85 points: Interesting but seemed a bit disjointed; flavors, aromas, and sensations werent well integrated. Another year in the bottle??? (4525 views) | | | Tasted by giateno on 8/19/2010 & rated 83 points: Naso su toni molto affumicati e di frutta secca, sicuramente segnato dal legno ma piacevole per il mio gusto. La bocca è altrettanto segnata, su note burrose e di vaniglia, lasciando qualche spazio a frutta tropicale, pesca e mela matura. Pecca in bevibilità e mineralità. Legno a tratti eccessivo. (4892 views) | | | Tasted by RichardZula on 7/18/2010: Coconut and vanilla, could use a little more acidity; enjoyable. (4844 views) | | | Tasted by rocknroller on 5/31/2010 & rated 89 points: Didn't get much of this, but what I had was fairly typical of past bottles. Medium dark gold color. Toasted oak, apple, and light citrus on the nose, palate is moderately buttery giving it a nice mouthfeel with good fruit and some minerality. Fairly well balanced with decent acidity. (5204 views) | | | Tasted by golfwine on 4/23/2010 & rated 86 points: Immediate appeal with great aromatics of buttered popcorn from nice medium oak, kiwi and fuji apple. After 40mins (& warming up), some prominent alcohol became noticeable but a nice melon-punch emerged. Initially, the mouthfeel was a balance between rich-creaminess and crisp-freshness - along the lines of the Stuhlmuller & Mer Soleil Silver and so, a crowd-pleaser. Although I liked this wine, I'm a little baffled by its chameleon-like changes. Further, I've not extensive experience pairing whites with food and so, might be missing something there. In final analysis, I don't think it's 60% better than the Ch. St. Jean Sonoma (commensurate with its price difference)...though, I'm intrigued enough to revisit it sometime. (5396 views) | | | Tasted by skaliner on 4/20/2010 & rated 90 points: Lovely golden color. Rounded with light creamy taste. Not overpowering (5559 views) | | | Tasted by joshwoodward on 3/12/2010 & rated 91 points: Cincinnati Wine Festival (Cincinnati, OH): Pears, creamy, medium acidity. Elegant, minerality, refined, restrained. (5965 views) | | | Tasted by armchairsommelier on 3/5/2010 & rated 90 points: Golden color in the glass. Rich and silky. Very creamy mouthfeel, with flavors of ripe apple, butter and toast. A surprise note of toasted coconut on the lingering finish. A beautiful representation of what oak CAN do for a wine. Salud! (5457 views) | | | Tasted by ethralls on 1/8/2010 & rated 90 points: Great Chardonnay. Vanilla, apples and slight toast on the nose. Very well balanced with apples and citrus on the palate and a good finish (5833 views) | | | Tasted by nogohawk on 12/24/2009 & rated 88 points: VG chard (5493 views) | | | Tasted by joshwoodward on 12/15/2009 & rated 90 points: Had a glass at Biaggi's in Perrysburg, OH. I think this was the vintage. I'd had an earlier one, and loved it, and this had a lot of the same qualities. Very light oak treatment and butteriness, with a delicious acidic punch. Some nuttiness. This is what value Chardonnay can be. (5452 views) | | | Tasted by sunalsorises on 12/10/2009 & rated 88 points: Nice layers of fruit. Finish was off a bit. (5443 views) | | | Tasted by Steve Jones on 11/5/2009 & rated 88 points: Clean and crisp chard, not too much oak, beautiful fruit. Apples, vanilla, clean citus. Very nice. (5355 views) | | | Tasted by EricBe on 10/18/2009 & rated 89 points: Was good the first day (88), but was actually better the second day. (90) How surprising. (5501 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2009, IWC Issue #147
(Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay Indian Wells Columbia Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Chateau Ste. Michelle Producer website2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay Indian WellsSilver Medal - 2009 San Francisco International Wine CompetitionChardonnay The Chardonnay GrapeUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Washington Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article
Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.
Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.
Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.
History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.
State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.
Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon RimmermanColumbia Valley Columbia Cascade Winery Association
The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.Columbia Valley Columbia Valley Winery Association |
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