Chardonnay with DC Dudes [goodfellow, laroche, Knez, guillemot michel, soliste]

Five guys tasted five wines blind. I was single blind, the rest double blind. Everyone tasted from both a Grassl Liberte and a Grassl Cru for comparison. The wines were all opened at 8am, put into decanters at 630pm and tasted from 730pm onward. Fun to follow these over a few hours and as they warmed from 45-55f or so. All five were very distinct from each other and all were strong competitors. I mistook the Laroche for Goodfellow and vice versa with the surprise in favor of Goodfellow.

The winners from the group were Knez and Goodfellow in a tie, with soliste next and the other two even in fourth place.

• 2014 Soliste Cellars Chardonnay L'Age D'Or 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Yellow gold. Ripe apple, caramel, yellow fruit, developing an herbal note later in the evening. Relatively bright acid and a bit thin in the middle, but overall good texture and ripe green and yellow apple on the palate with a touch of toasty barrel note.

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• 2018 Domaine Guillemot-Michel Viré-Clessé Quintaine 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé

  Yellow in glass. Really ripe orchard fruit, juicy peach and baking spice on the nose. Palate follows with good depth to the quite fruity palate. It had an exacting balance on the finish that brought me back for more.

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• 2020 Domaine Laroche Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaudevey 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Pale straw color. Mineral,light minty herbal note, and some white pepper. Good intensity to the pithy citrus flavors, but the standout here was the very mineral and saline spine on the palate. Not austere either though.

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• 2019 Goodfellow Family Cellars Chardonnay Whistling Ridge Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Ribbon Ridge

  Pale yellow. Intense smoky nose with a bit of toast and citrus. Palate is quite dense and has loads of depth and persistence and tension to the green apple and lemon curd flavors. This has a great spine to it as well and was an absolute pleasure.

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• 2014 Knez Winery Chardonnay Demuth Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Yellow gold. Broad expansive nose of hay, mushroom, a floral note. Palate is rich and has good depth of yellow apple and plum, nicely integrated oak, and a beautifully balanced finish. Absolutely in line with the best Chardonnay I’ve had in the last couple years.

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