May 30, 2016 - Complex white medium body. Pineapple, grass ,some citrus notes
December 1, 2015 - med yellow. Closed up for first hour. Then it opened beautifully, showing power in its complex bouquet. Palate not as showy but with very good energy. This deserves a few more years before opening next bottle and quiet contemplation then.
Excellent and outstanding potential
December 18, 2014 - Blind Dinner at Browntrout (Browntrout - Chicago, IL): Served blind. Wow, what a funky nose at first. Some cheese-y notes, peach, truffle, and cream. Definitely fooled me here - definitely didn't guess the South Island of New Zealand. Liked the palate a lot. It had a touch of creaminess that got most of us thinking it was a warmer climate. The lower acid seemed to give the wine a subtle texture...which in turn made the body plush. Lemons/limes with a subtle touch of peach and florals made this quite enjoyable. Another great bottle from Pyramid Valley.
December 18, 2014 - Blind Dinner at Browntrout (Chicago, IL): Served blind. A lot of weird bottle funk on the nose initially that blew off after a while. This was originally quite spicy and weird, with an oily texture on the palate. Based on the texture, I would have said this was a Rhone varietal, but there was enough freshness and acidity that that wasn't a good guess either. Did not even come close to guessing this was a chardonnay.
November 25, 2013 - This shows just what 'natural wines' can achieve in the most skilled and sympathetic hands. Brilliant purity and length - enchanting and this will last.
November 7, 2013 - Medium yellow. Ripe white fruit, melon, anise and honey - some botrytis. In the mouth is is viscous, ceratinly sweet, rich fruit with oak and lees. Seems powerful, but lacking detail.
September 3, 2013 - Bright, mineral and crunchy, but with full bouquet of white and orchard fruits and a tiny streak of SB grapefruit. Great at the table.
May 19, 2013 - Notes from second day open. Medium yellow-gold color, light haze and medium legs. Vibrant, buttery oak nose of average volume with cashew and lemon zest in the mix. Heavyweight body, smooth and seamless palate that is still young in development but really nicely balanced through a medium-long finish. This was absolutely best at cellar temp, not chilled. Very well done and should give NZ Chard a place on the world wine map. Wish I had more. 4+12+18+8 = 92
May 19, 2013 - OC poker with Sam; 5/18/2013-5/19/2013 (WCC - Irvine CA): Pretty dark gold color. Nose is dominated by a sulphur blast and flint. A little off putting as its quite present. Palate is sweet ripe tree fruit. I know this is well liked but didn't float my boat unfortunately.
May 18, 2013 - really enjoyed...balance, great acidity, complext flavor profile