September 23, 2012 - Pinot and Chardonnay gathering at Harth Restaurant - Clos de Tart, Vogue BM and Chave (Harth Restaurant at Hilton Tysons corner, Mclean, Va): This actually shows young. It has settled down. As Justin B said, smoke, lemon and light caramel. Pretty fat and a hint of alcohol. It is actually drinking well, pleasant surprise.
February 27, 2012 - Another over-the-hill California Chardonnay. We pre-ordered it from the winery and it has been in our cellar the entire time. Just too old. I used it to poach a Steelhead Trout.
December 20, 2011 - Very nice, though a touch of oxidization and a bit heavy handed with the oak. Nice secondary flavors of caramel tropical fruit, notably pineapple, and floral notes. I've had this wine before and there was som bottle variation as the previous one didn't have the overpowering oak. Drink now. PDQ91+
February 17, 2008 - Beautiful fruit with pear, apple and honey. The mouthfeel is marvelous. My only complaint is the acid component seems lacking. For the price expected more but may be starting to show its age.
February 25, 2005 - I'm somewhat disappointed by this, if only because I had high expectations. This takes awhile to open up on the nose; contrary to Wine Spectator’s review, which calls it “big and bold,” this seems (at least to me) to be a fairly quiet, unoaked, precise wine. I like it well enough; it’s fruit-forward (and maybe that’s what Jim Laube means by “bold”), with special emphasis on pear, I think. It’s a bit tart on the palate, though, with a surprising amount of acidity, and it finishes somewhat hot on the alcohol. Perhaps I’m being too critical because of the fairly hefty price ($60); the fruit and mineral DO really liven this thing up. Still, Pahlmeyer’s notoriety doesn’t fully shine through here, so I’ll have to revisit this some other time, perhaps after further aging or in a different vintage.
December 24, 2004 - Took to Cafe Tiramisu with Bill/Diane, Elizabeth and Collen for lunch. Had with a wonderful "fisherman's stew"...can not remember the name in italian. Rich, buttery, mellons, acacia, nice acid for the food and a very smooth finish. Maybe not worth the price, but a good chard if you want to try something different.
June 13, 2003 - Lemon, vanilla nose; big, oaky, ripe lemon palate, a little hot; medium-plus finish