Community Tasting Notes 14

• pasmatony@gmail.com Likes this wine: 99 points

  March 3, 2023 - A big and developed but not heavy nor blowzy Napa Chardonnay. Well accuring notes of oak. Goes perfect with grillad lamb.

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• forceberry wrote: 90 points

  November 3, 2020 - 15,1% alcohol.
  
  Quite deep, coppery golden yellow color. At first the nose is very sweet with candied aromas of gummi bears and other fruit jellies, then taking a step to the side, revealing more evolved aromas of caramel, some bruised apple, light browned butter tones, a little bit of pineapple, a (pleasant) hint of cooked vegetables and a touch of hot resin. The wine is evolved, complex and somewhat tertiary on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and layered flavors of savory spices and bruised apple, some floral tones, light tertiary notes of chopped nuts and browned butter, a little bit of dried pineapple, oaky hints of creaminess and sweet, toasted notes and a touch of extracted bitterness, emphasized by the high alcohol. The medium-to-moderately high acidity feels just high enough to keep the wine balanced and somewhat structured - but this might be because the wine has lost some of its baby fat over the years. I can imagine the wine must've been noticeably fatter in its youth. The finish is moderately warm, complex and very evolved with layered flavors of savory spices and extracted woody bitterness, some wizened apricot tones, a little bit of bruised apple, light sweet notes of honeyed richness and a hint of beeswax.
  
  A big and developed but not heavy nor blowzy Napa Chardonnay. Quite a bit on the ripe side, but the wine seems to be still quite balanced despite the somewhat modest acidity and quite voluptuous fruit. I guess age has benefited the wine; the fruit hasn't faded away, but the overall feel is slightly lighter and leaner compared to the younger Beringer Chardonnays, letting the acidity come a bit more to the fore. All in all, a surprisingly nice, enjoyable and harmonious Chardonnay with some age. You would never confuse this style of wine with a white Burgundy, but never mind that - this is a fine effort in its own genre.

  Comment

• LJD Likes this wine: 92 points

  August 15, 2015 - Bought at auction - PnP: I agree with everything EMZEE.MC said. the color was amazing, the fruit was incredible. Almost no acidity, and yet still pleasurable. I can't imagine everyone liking this, but I took it to a party, poured myself a small glass (thinking there will be plenty left) and when I went back 30 minutes later the bottle was empty. I think chilling it next time will be a factor to further enjoyment.

  Comment

• emzee.mc wrote: 93 points

  May 15, 2015 - The wine is chilled, popped and aired for a good half a day before drinking. Out of the bottle, this 15.1% ABV beast pours a mesmerizing, amber copper color with crystal clarity and very thick long legs. The nose has incredible concentration and is just intoxicating. Bouquets beyond bouquets of charred pineapples, over-ripe bananas, honeycomb, vanilla pods, cloves, sugarcane, stewed peaches and aged comte meet the nose. The precision and strength of the nose is just remarkable. On the palate, the wine still drinks quite well. The alcohol, albeit strong, does not bite as age rounds thing out. Rather, the wine rolls off easily down the tongue in a velvety, voluptuous motion, bringing with it more flavors of hard-rind cheeses, banana toffee pie, bananas, buttered toasts and marzipan. Acidity is at a low here; in fact, I do not even pick up any citrus notes. Nonetheless, the wine is not cloying, but rather, flexes its strength and complexity in a gentle and assured manner. This wine has the archetypal profile of a Cali chard; and it does so beautifully with restraint and finesse. Great stuff from Beringer.

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• shine Likes this wine: 90 points

  December 7, 2012 - Golden color. Complex nose of carmel and tropical fruits. Taste of butterscotch, pineapple and tropical fruit. Complex, enjoyable and better than expected.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

Pro Reviews 1

Wine Definition

• Vintage 1999
• Type White
• Producer Beringer Vineyards
• Varietal Chardonnay
• Designation Sbragia Limited Release
• Vineyard n/a
• Country USA
• Region California
• SubRegion Napa Valley
• Appellation Napa Valley

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 131 (58%)
• Consumed 96 (42%)

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