February 13, 2010 - No formal notes. Tropical fruits. Creamy, with well-integrated oak. Pretty good.
January 22, 2010 - Crisp nose with some citrus. Nice medium bodied, some butter, but not overwhelming, little to no oak. Clean grapefruit and pear, almost like a Sauv Blanc. Mineral, stone backend. Overall, I nice $20 Cali chard that is different than the usual, but it wasn't good enough for me to give it a 90+.
May 5, 2009 - Pisoni tasting at USQ Wines (New York): green pear on nose; tart on palate too - a little sauv blanc-like.
April 30, 2009 - This was our white wine club pick this month. NOT at all a typical California Chard, which is a good thing! Tastes more like a light SB, very enjoyable.
March 17, 2009 - very clear, straw colored, citrus and wet stone aromas, beautiful middle weight texture, lemon mid-palate followed by a generous and creamy (but not buttery) finish full of flashy orange zest, pear, apricots, honey and nuances of fresh vegetation, very interesting style of CA chardonnay, it really stands out and it really leaves an impression, matched with a chicken pistachio dish, has some of the same flavors of viognier and some Spanish whites
November 23, 2008 - Very clean, crisp nose, with hints of grapefruit; Light bodied, but with rich citrus and apple flavors that come through very clean and pure -- the lack of oak and the ripeness of the fruit makes for richness, but with a clean finish and a crispness to keep it very refreshing; I would pair this with lighter foods than oaked Chardonnays, but an excellent wine
September 23, 2008 - On the nose, a bit more viognier meets Cali SauvBlanc. On the palate, would be easy to assume SB if tasting blind. None of the typical CA chard hallmarks of butter or oak. Pure and light with similar (albeit a bit more) weight than one would expect of a New Zealand white. On the palate, some delicious mineral, citrus, wheat grass, and a bottom layer of something that reminds me ever so subtly of circus peanuts (or perhaps the previously noted angel food cake). Not sweet, not heavy, zilch on the oak, and offering plenty of intrigue. A different, fun, and delicious take on California chard and one easily worth the tariff and a fair amount of rack space in the cellar. Very good and leaning into excellent. 88+.
August 21, 2008 - medium straw color with a watery edge. not too viscous in the glass, which is nice for a new world Chard. brilliant nose of ripe pear, red apple, caramel, mineral and edgy white flowers. A bit of angel food cake hangs in the balance. I'm enjoying this wine (mostly because it hasn't been Malo'd to death) already and I have yet to taste it. With a few minutes in the glass, a hint of fresh apple pie and persimmon show themselves.
On the palate: medium bodied, well integrated (with just the right amount of grape tannin, by the way). Not sure it has the structure for the long haul, but certainly will be quite enjoyable over the next 3-4 years. A medium + persistence that is very pleasing. Nice mid-palate definition. Approximately $20
drink through 2011 for best enjoyment