Cork shows ingress up about a quarter all the way around. Color makes you pause getting towards bronze. But damn if this isn't expressive. Barely showing any oxidation but very mature nonetheless. Broad, loud sweet Meyer lemon on the nose and palate with some ripe apricot. So rich and big still. Some notes of yellow apple, honey. Hints of butterscotch. Fairly fat fruited with just enough acidity to keep this lively. Terrific. Really really impressive for just how big and expressive this is 25 years in.
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Deepening gold color. Aromas of butterscotch candy, lemon, and baked apple. Palate has some nuttiness under caramel, butterscotch, lemon, and apple notes. Some mushroom and marshmallow sneak in with air. The finish is medium-long. This shows its age, but is pretty easy to enjoy if you like a little bit of aged character in your Chardonnay. Drink or hold.
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It was fun watching everybody's surprise over just how awesome this was. I think everyone who was lucky enough to get some took seconds. This still has a ton of freshness, from its cool, brightly complexioned fruit to its spackling of beach sand, but age has given it a golden-green color, pungent aromatics, and a sappy intensity with just the right amount of treacly butterscotch to enrich the otherwise classic fruit profile. Never had a better California chardonnay.
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9/9/2020 - WetRock wrote:
Cork shows ingress up about a quarter all the way around. Color makes you pause getting towards bronze. But damn if this isn't expressive. Barely showing any oxidation but very mature nonetheless. Broad, loud sweet Meyer lemon on the nose and palate with some ripe apricot. So rich and big still. Some notes of yellow apple, honey. Hints of butterscotch. Fairly fat fruited with just enough acidity to keep this lively. Terrific. Really really impressive for just how big and expressive this is 25 years in.
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1/4/2019 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot wrote: 92 Points
Overripe stone fruit, plenty of butter and some oaky notes. Acid is mostly gone. Only a very well made Cali Chardonnay could make it this long.
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5/2/2013 - fredb Likes this wine:
Deepening gold color. Aromas of butterscotch candy, lemon, and baked apple. Palate has some nuttiness under caramel, butterscotch, lemon, and apple notes. Some mushroom and marshmallow sneak in with air. The finish is medium-long. This shows its age, but is pretty easy to enjoy if you like a little bit of aged character in your Chardonnay. Drink or hold.
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6/16/2009 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 96 Points
It was fun watching everybody's surprise over just how awesome this was. I think everyone who was lucky enough to get some took seconds. This still has a ton of freshness, from its cool, brightly complexioned fruit to its spackling of beach sand, but age has given it a golden-green color, pungent aromatics, and a sappy intensity with just the right amount of treacly butterscotch to enrich the otherwise classic fruit profile. Never had a better California chardonnay.
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