April 15, 2024 - Book Club (Foretti's): This was the same bottle as Frank Murray‘s. It was over the hill. Dark brassy color. The nose was funky pear. It did have a nice stone fruit and honey. Medium oxidation. But that was it dropped off after that without any structure.
April 11, 2024 - Bookclub (served blind)--My Turn (Foretti's in Corona Del Mar): I opened one of these 7 years ago and my comment then was 'no signs of fading'. However, the bottle I opened last night for the group was in my view past its peak. The color has become golden. There is still some wool and light petrol in the aroma and some honeyed peach, yet the acidity and freshness has left the wine, leaving instead a sour apple and bitter grapefruit signature. I elected to not blind the group on this wine, removing it from the lineup and we simply tasted it as the starter to the evening. One smart palate tried it and then it went right to the dump bucket. In sum, I am glad this is the last bottle I own, but I will keep the great memories of when this Choisilles was in its prime.
November 23, 2023 - Medium gold color. Drank a couple glasses over 90 minutes for Thanksgiving with family. Fusil, slate, wooly, apricot, orange, orange peel, lemon, full bodied, maybe a touch shy on acid today. 91+ to 92pts.
October 19, 2022 - Dinner at Young Joni: Light medium gold color. PNP, drank a glass plus over 2 hours. Tropical, unctuous, mandarin orange, pineapple, guava, stone, oily texture, wool, modest fusil and a long finish. 92+ to 93pts.
May 4, 2021 - Last bottle. I enjoyed these most when they were younger.
March 27, 2021 - Last of 4 bottles, and by far the freshest. No signs of oxidation in the color - clear straw gold. Nose offers up some candied lemon and honeycomb, buttressed by a salty mineral streak. More of this on the palate, lightly sweet, showing pineapple acidity, golden raisin, and a hint of golden apples. Wax and wool, for sure. Long honeyed finish. Starts out a touch musty and top-heavy, but snaps into focus within an hour. Very tasty, but not particularly sad that I don’t have more. 91
Edit: on day 2, something magical happens, and this wine snaps into total focus. Acid to the fore, shedding some of the lightly oxidative notes and revealing impeccable balance that was lurking underneath. An exciting wine - perhaps as good as 2010 Huet le Mont. 93
August 11, 2020 - Good cork. Not oxidized like previous bottle, but perhaps appropriately advanced for a 10yo Chidaine—and now on the downslope. Showing a bit of prickly VA, golden apples, light tropical fruit and some wool and wax. Although somewhat lacking complexity, there’s enough textural richness and bright acidity to keep this refreshing and pleasant, especially with spicy Chinese food.
July 10, 2020 - Fresh and vibrant!
April 2, 2020 - Terrific - age has mellowed the woolly characteristics of Chenin Blanc, but the tropical fruit and acid remain strong. No hint of getting tired or past it's prime, but no need to wait either - another delicious offering from Francois Chidaine.
December 5, 2019 - In excellent shape. Genre bending. Delicious and acidic.