Definitely one of the better Cali chardonnays I've tasted. Nose has apricot, peach, a hint of citrus, and baked apples. Just a hint of oak. The palate is balanced, elegant, and nice with some minerality in addition to green fruits. Retains freshness yet still fairly full bodied. Not a heavy, oaky style which is nice.
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Opened for a guest who inhaled it during the evening. I had a smidge, but not enough to really post much more than a brief nod to liking it. She certainly did. Last bottle. I'd buy this in new release to give it a try.
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Pale lemon, noticably unintegrated oak floating above an apple and ripe tropical melon nose. Much cleaner taste, dry, mid acidity, appley and melon, well balanced, long finish.
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Very old world in style. Crisp acidity with lots of green apple flavor on the palate. Not heavy. Would be a great Chard to pair with food but some what austere on it's own.
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Agree with others here that by the nose, one would think this was an Old World offering. Very Burgundian. Flavors of lemon rind, straw, light citrus, with a nice acidity & light oak. Opened early, but I couldn't resist. Will need to see about picking up some more.
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This is a really good effort. Clean and balanced Chardonnay. On the nose I would mistake it for white Burgundy. On the palate, the main notes were of lemon curd balanced by toasty oak (which is still a little to prominent but should balance out in the next year or so). Sandhi is an exciting project and I'm eager to try their other offerings, in white and red.
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Good quality fruit, which is about 33% Sta. Rita Hills sourced. Though the oak is a little too formidable for me at this point. I'd wait another year or two if drinking again.
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Really solid, balanced chard. Nose of lemon curd, light florals, a bit of buttery oak (but definitely restrained). Ripping acidity and flinty flavors on the palate made this refreshing and great with dinner. In terms of "value" chardonnay with this kind of high-acid, food-friendly profile, I'd probably still give a nod to the Jura for QPR, but this delivered the goods.
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Very clean and super well-balanced, but lacking a little punch and depth that a good 1er cru white burgundy provides. That being said this was $22 and the QPR is pretty darn good: somewhat muted nose, a touch of oak, lemon, citrus on the palate. Very good acid, which helped this a lot. Will improve and needs about an hour to open up. I wonder what the higher-end bottlings must be like. My bet is very, very good if this is the intro bottling.
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When served cold, this was very Chablisian - lots of seawater, lemons and crushed rocks. As it warmed up, there was some spicy oak and butter that emerged. Luckily, both were more of a nuance than a central part of its character. This had great lemon and pear flavors, with a really nice mineral note. Good balance, GREAT acidity, and a nice value at just over $20.
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Light lemon yellow color; white jasmine, ripe pear, ripe apple nose; rich but poised, tart pear, tart apple, mineral palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points
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Golden color in the glass with a pretty nose of green fruits and honey. The mouthfeel is medium weight and springs to life mid to back palate with great acidity. Nice finish and for the price an outstanding value. This isn't as good as the Sanford and Benedict but that is a high hurdle. I will absolutely get more of this.
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The nose is citrussy and shows a little oak. So many similarities to the 'classic' Californian Chardonnay but with more restraint. It's powerful with a creamy texture and rounded toffee and butterscotch flavours, but the fresh acidity leaves your mouth feeling clean. Very nice.
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A light straw colored wine with aromas of sweet pears, honey, wild flowers, orange rind, smoke, and crushed stones. On the palate flavors of green apples, poached pears, with a hint of apricot appear on the attack that lead to intense honey flavor and acidity on the mid-palate. A wine with a long lasting finish filled with citric flavors and crushed chalk, a mid-bodied effort that exudes balance between fruit, acidity, and structure.
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11/29/2014 - jnewman77 wrote:
Definitely one of the better Cali chardonnays I've tasted. Nose has apricot, peach, a hint of citrus, and baked apples. Just a hint of oak. The palate is balanced, elegant, and nice with some minerality in addition to green fruits. Retains freshness yet still fairly full bodied. Not a heavy, oaky style which is nice.
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7/29/2014 - drdecanto wrote: 91 Points
Opened for a guest who inhaled it during the evening. I had a smidge, but not enough to really post much more than a brief nod to liking it. She certainly did. Last bottle. I'd buy this in new release to give it a try.
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5/31/2014 - JustNathan wrote: 89 Points
Pale lemon, noticably unintegrated oak floating above an apple and ripe tropical melon nose. Much cleaner taste, dry, mid acidity, appley and melon, well balanced, long finish.
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3/30/2014 - Barbaro wrote: 91 Points
Very old world in style. Crisp acidity with lots of green apple flavor on the palate. Not heavy. Would be a great Chard to pair with food but some what austere on it's own.
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10/2/2013 - wadcorp Likes this wine: 90 Points
Agree with others here that by the nose, one would think this was an Old World offering. Very Burgundian. Flavors of lemon rind, straw, light citrus, with a nice acidity & light oak. Opened early, but I couldn't resist. Will need to see about picking up some more.
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9/25/2013 - davestenton wrote:
The Dirty Dozen Tasting 2013 (Il Botaccio, London): Creamy, mealy nose with subtle stone fruit aromas. Good weight and line. Very precise and focussed. 16.5/20.
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7/5/2013 - Nojomoschwa Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is a really good effort. Clean and balanced Chardonnay. On the nose I would mistake it for white Burgundy. On the palate, the main notes were of lemon curd balanced by toasty oak (which is still a little to prominent but should balance out in the next year or so). Sandhi is an exciting project and I'm eager to try their other offerings, in white and red.
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6/30/2013 - Robert Pavlovich wrote:
Good quality fruit, which is about 33% Sta. Rita Hills sourced. Though the oak is a little too formidable for me at this point. I'd wait another year or two if drinking again.
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6/11/2013 - Ken63 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mild oak, lemon, citrus on the palate. Very good acid, which kept a crisp clear mouth feel. May improve, nice for the price.
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5/19/2013 - Billigan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really solid, balanced chard. Nose of lemon curd, light florals, a bit of buttery oak (but definitely restrained). Ripping acidity and flinty flavors on the palate made this refreshing and great with dinner. In terms of "value" chardonnay with this kind of high-acid, food-friendly profile, I'd probably still give a nod to the Jura for QPR, but this delivered the goods.
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5/14/2013 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very clean and super well-balanced, but lacking a little punch and depth that a good 1er cru white burgundy provides. That being said this was $22 and the QPR is pretty darn good: somewhat muted nose, a touch of oak, lemon, citrus on the palate. Very good acid, which helped this a lot. Will improve and needs about an hour to open up. I wonder what the higher-end bottlings must be like. My bet is very, very good if this is the intro bottling.
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4/30/2013 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
When served cold, this was very Chablisian - lots of seawater, lemons and crushed rocks. As it warmed up, there was some spicy oak and butter that emerged. Luckily, both were more of a nuance than a central part of its character. This had great lemon and pear flavors, with a really nice mineral note. Good balance, GREAT acidity, and a nice value at just over $20.
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3/29/2013 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Light lemon yellow color; white jasmine, ripe pear, ripe apple nose; rich but poised, tart pear, tart apple, mineral palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points
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3/17/2013 - Jbird73 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Golden color in the glass with a pretty nose of green fruits and honey. The mouthfeel is medium weight and springs to life mid to back palate with great acidity. Nice finish and for the price an outstanding value. This isn't as good as the Sanford and Benedict but that is a high hurdle. I will absolutely get more of this.
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2/14/2013 - Biggsy wrote: 89 Points
The nose is citrussy and shows a little oak. So many similarities to the 'classic' Californian Chardonnay but with more restraint. It's powerful with a creamy texture and rounded toffee and butterscotch flavours, but the fresh acidity leaves your mouth feeling clean. Very nice.
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2/4/2013 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Light yellow color; appealing, ripe pear, ripe lemon, light hazelnut nose; tart lemon, mineral, lightly saline palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ points
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1/31/2013 - MattMauldin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasting at The Watering Hole- Sandhi & other Terroir Selections (Los Olivos, CA): Notes of flint, mineral, straw, citrus & stone fruit, honey- very complex aromas. Sleek and gliding through the palate with bright notes of citrus, slate and mineral. Subtle spice notes through a nice finish. Very nice.
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1/14/2013 - mappleton Likes this wine:
Shockingly rich for a 13.0 wine. VERY young and in need of time but incredible structure here. Give it at least a couple of years.
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11/27/2012 - Gobi wrote: 91 Points
A light straw colored wine with aromas of sweet pears, honey, wild flowers, orange rind, smoke, and crushed stones. On the palate flavors of green apples, poached pears, with a hint of apricot appear on the attack that lead to intense honey flavor and acidity on the mid-palate. A wine with a long lasting finish filled with citric flavors and crushed chalk, a mid-bodied effort that exudes balance between fruit, acidity, and structure.
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