Not my favorite Chardonnay for sure. Nice initial flavors but then it tapered off and had very little finish. Didn’t love the nose either. Weird for a Platt Vineyard Chardonnay (which we usually really like). Would not buy again
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I liked it a lot, it's pretty much ready. On the nose you get springs and flowers from Roses to Lavendar. On the Palette it can be somewhat buttery but balances out with crisped nuanced complexity of a heartier Chardonnay. This is very my style until I started tasting some sourness. I mean what gives? The only way I found that could get rid of the sourness / Acidity was to re-fridge it down to a very cold temperature or have some cheese then it's ever blissful again. Drink at 50 degree or less and keep it there unless you want some lemons. It would be a 97 if it weren't so finicky as it got warmer.
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TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: There were a couple of Auberts in the tasting that I inadvertently dodged and for whatever reason was unable to conjure up the logistical prowess to get to them and proffer some sort of comparison between the Auberts and the Vice Versa Platt. That said, I’ll say that I can pretty much guess the obvious here (I’m a master at guessing the obvious by the way), specifically in that the VV is typically the more acidic and popping in profile relative to the stylistically creamy and pillowy Auberts. This to me is a stylistic thing. Much like Champagne and Ultramarine, it’s ok to like both styles, though I admittedly gravitate more toward the acid and uber fresh lemon juice contour over the riper and sweeter style (so, full disclosure there).
I’ve written multiple tasting notes on the VV specifically, so I’ll simply say that this bottle was consistent with previous experiences. Great verve and focus, with elevated yellow citrus brilliance. One of the few domestic Chardonnays out there that I’m drawn to.
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Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Sunday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): Small pour.....think honey butter on toast, but with a citric streak! Second time I have had VVChard (other was a 19). This one is showing what a little age can do, and it's quite nice! Should continue to improve, IMO. Like the creamy pear and streak of chalky minerality. Solid 95 for my palate.
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Best of the World Wine Night (ex-Italy) (The csimm_M Estate): Sooo, I’m feeling pretty inflationary with my scoring compared to fellow guests and friends WBW and BS *except* when it comes to VV. I’ve had, and have another bottle in tow, the ‘19 of this, found it very well made, as I have all VV wines, with admirable precision, focus and intensity, but . . . Somehow, cold. The citric and rocky minerality notes are well-etched and demand attention, but I’m just not sure that there’s that much behind them. I felt that a bit with the ‘19 when I drank it on its own, but with the more personality, at least for me, driven Auberts within literal reach this time around, the feeling was only more profound. I like this and admire it; I’m just not sure I’ll ever quite get to loving it, at least as long as Luc and Mark stay active in the 707. 94-95+
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Memorial Madness at Case de Chris y Melissa - Day 2 of 2: Crisp, refreshing, mineral driven chard. Very chablis like almost in style. I dig it. There is just nothing to complain here. Maybe slightly less complex than say the Lauren but more interesting than the La Pelle Chard I had a month or two ago. Not to be missed
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Every time I pop the cork on this wine, I fall in love with it all over again. It is totally my jam and one of the best representations of Chardonnay in California out there. It is (unfortunately) unique in that it is not an oak slathered movie popcorn bucket lemonade stand experience like so many of its peers in the Golden State. The purity of fruit shines through, carried by beams of acidity that can't help but be compared to top performers across the Atlantic. Its relatives are more Burgundian than Californiac. Really the only thing domestic here is the intensity and darting power that pushes the crystalline flavors forward. Otherwise, those looking for liquid powdered sugar lemon cheesecake bars should probably venture elsewhere. I hear Barefoot has an 'on-tap' box Chardonnay now; so...you're welcome...
Definitely a great Chard but just needs a little more time imo. Laser focus acidity with lemon drop notes that lasted on the palette and on the finish for 30 seconds plus. Fantastic wine that I believe can age for quite a while.
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Halloween in the Vice Versa Cave: I’ve written quite a bit on this wine already, so I’ll keep it simple. It’s one of the best domestic Chardonnays coming out of California. It consistently flies in the 96-99 point range for me. It carries a beautiful Burgundian lift without forgetting its local ancestry. Stays succulent and fresh, not relying on heavy lumber to sweeten the deal unnecessarily. Drink now or hold a few years to add some bass tones and additional layered nuance.
Served in Jeroboam format (I think), or some sort of backbreaking Megaladon Methuselah monstrosity that makes for near-impossible pouring unless you’re some Olympic Power Push Clean and Jerk Squatter type (lift with your knees kids).
It’s been nearly two years since I last had this wine. I’m absolutely loving it. The oak influence is so subtle that it’s barely detectable over the beautifully proportioned yellow citrus fruit flavors and accompanying acid. A top shelf Puligny-Montrachet with an extra bump in intensity. Outstanding!
Unbelievable nose that combines minerality and some stone fruit with gobs of floral notes and lemon verbena trailed by hints of oak. Transcendent nose. The body is balanced with good sturdy notes of lemon curd, ripe Granny Smith apple, coconut, and a luscious finish backed again by touches of MLF and oak. Easily my favorite Chardonnay of the vintage so far, and this may represent the best value in the whole VV lineup. Just spectacular. 98
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This stunning Chardonnay has found another gear in the year since I tasted it last (10/19 - 95+ points), with a similar amount of intensity but such beautiful integration. The texture of this wine, in particular, has evolved into something that is energetic but layered, something that is more easily said than done in domestic Chardonnay.
Light yellow, almost clear in color; medium in body; nose of green apple, dried apricot, sliced almond, and saline. Flavors of grapefruit, fresh apricot, pineapple, and minerals, with a softer finish that still offers bright acidity. 14.1% alcohol. This has entered its drinking window, but it could be even better in another 6-18 months, as it continues to unfold. What a wine.
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Despite 6 hours of air on day one, and then another 3 hours on day two after the day one experience left me wanting, I never got past the super-acidic, super-lemon-grapefruit stage. Never found the weight that others experiences either. No honey, no stone, no minerality -- just tart yellow/pink citrus.
I am almost always aligned in my notes with the most of the others who commented on this wine, and I'm also a fan of all of the other Vice Versa wines, so this is very confusing to me. Since I had a similar reaction (and dissonance) re: the 2016 VV Platt Chardonnay, I'm left with the sad conclusion that this wine is simply beyond my understanding.
I can’t say it any better than CSIMM and think those comments are spot on. This wine is just so beautifully balanced and delicious. Our favorite Chardonnay from California. It’s early but I think the 2018 will be fantastic as well.
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This explosive and tense Chardonnay is still another 6-12 months from its drinking window, but - my oh my - what a ride it is today. Csimm did a tremendous job explaining two key things: (1) this needs air, a lot of it; and (2) this has an intensity that is downright forceful - and delicious.
Light yellow, almost silver in color, and medium in body, the wine offers compelling aromas of lemon rind, grapefruit, under-ripe peach, and ocean air. The wine tastes quite zingy upon opening, but air unfolds an incredible array of flavors, including green apple, cantaloupe, gooseberry, and saline, with a nervy and bright finish that goes on and on (and on and on). 14.1% alcohol.
This reminds me a bit of the Paul Lato wines from the Central Coast, which are pure, explosive, and somewhat inward in the early going. Compared to the Lato wines, though, the Vice Versa offers more fruit - albeit now citrus-driven - that should integrate and blossom in the near future. 95+ for now, but this is an incredibly promising wine.
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A much more complete animal than the barrel sample I had back in November. Initially, the first sips were certainly youthfully linear and hyper-focused. A massive cut and acid blast that was fortified with fresh squeezed lemon juice and white peach and pear notes. At first, this finished a bit nuclear, exploding on the back end with a lip-smacking acidity and radiating tension, quickly puckering-up the back of the mouth. The cheetah-like energy on this thing was super intense.
With a significant amount of open air and some vigorous swirling over the course of an hour or so, this really blossomed with more weighty yellow citrus, lime, peach, and pumice notes. The mid-palate found a center drop that enabled the flavors to exhibit some needed viscosity and depth. The expansion fanned-out with gorgeous gymnast dexterity, but also with balance and finesse. Ultimately, this finished with an exciting combination of verve and sophistication.
Compared to the 2016, the 2017 currently carries more sheer intensity and drive. I’m still tasting the finish on the 2017. The propulsion is crazy-energetic and penetrating. Such heightened momentum here.
A wild and awesomely invigorating wine right now (enhanced with air), but a wine that begs for a number of years in-bottle to really reach its optimum drinking window. But once it does, Holy Christ Almighty. Watch out for this one! 97-99+ points.
Barrel sample. This isn't the final blend of this wine, so no way to really rate it accurately but I'll just give some general impressions. First, to my mind the 2016 Platt Chard is just tremendous and there's a lot to live up to with the second vintage. From what I tasted, I think the 2017 is well on its way.
This was super duper crazy sexy and opulent. It was showing tons of gorgeous and pure lemon and peach fruit with hints of honey and stone. It was quite forward and a bit fruity even, but Patrice mentioned that would change with the blend and his goal would be for the final product to be a bit more minerally like the 2016. This has tons of tension and energy and is very exciting. I expect it to be fabulous.
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Yowzers!.... Here’s a wine to keep a watchful eye out for once it gets closer to bottling. What an intense display of yellow core fruit, with a lip-smacking acidity that tastes like the best lemon drop you’ve ever had. If fresh squeezed lemon juice ever found a way to be sexy, the 2017 Vice Versa Platt Chardonnay would be that gateway. A runway model holding a machine gun.
Beyond the instantly captivating front end displaying a racy and sultry hit-me-with-your-best-shot delivery, it utterly radiates liquid energy and purity. It’s a center kick pucker factor without the sour or biting back end. Awesomely popping and full of life. Vivacious and crazy swift in its attack, this Platt plays Jackie Joyner-Kersee over the palate, lapping back for more with a finish that I’m still tasting.
Hints of sulfur on the back end remind you this is still an unfinished wine that will certainly find more balance and integration when it makes its way closer to bottle birth. I can’t wait to check out this rambunctious rabble-rouser once its metamorphosis is complete. An upper 90s++ wine in the making.
2/9/2024 - Mds319 wrote: 90 Points
Not my favorite Chardonnay for sure. Nice initial flavors but then it tapered off and had very little finish. Didn’t love the nose either. Weird for a Platt Vineyard Chardonnay (which we usually really like). Would not buy again
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10/27/2023 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great depth and nice fruit with a touch of oak. Very nice.
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9/4/2023 - Takeshi Likes this wine: 96 Points
I liked it a lot, it's pretty much ready. On the nose you get springs and flowers from Roses to Lavendar. On the Palette it can be somewhat buttery but balances out with crisped nuanced complexity of a heartier Chardonnay. This is very my style until I started tasting some sourness. I mean what gives? The only way I found that could get rid of the sourness / Acidity was to re-fridge it down to a very cold temperature or have some cheese then it's ever blissful again. Drink at 50 degree or less and keep it there unless you want some lemons. It would be a 97 if it weren't so finicky as it got warmer.
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6/6/2023 - csimm wrote:
TOP SHELF WINE WEEKEND: There were a couple of Auberts in the tasting that I inadvertently dodged and for whatever reason was unable to conjure up the logistical prowess to get to them and proffer some sort of comparison between the Auberts and the Vice Versa Platt. That said, I’ll say that I can pretty much guess the obvious here (I’m a master at guessing the obvious by the way), specifically in that the VV is typically the more acidic and popping in profile relative to the stylistically creamy and pillowy Auberts. This to me is a stylistic thing. Much like Champagne and Ultramarine, it’s ok to like both styles, though I admittedly gravitate more toward the acid and uber fresh lemon juice contour over the riper and sweeter style (so, full disclosure there).
I’ve written multiple tasting notes on the VV specifically, so I’ll simply say that this bottle was consistent with previous experiences. Great verve and focus, with elevated yellow citrus brilliance. One of the few domestic Chardonnays out there that I’m drawn to.
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5/28/2023 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wild and Crazy Memorial Weekend - Sunday (Chris' Castle aka Melissa's Manor): Small pour.....think honey butter on toast, but with a citric streak! Second time I have had VVChard (other was a 19). This one is showing what a little age can do, and it's quite nice! Should continue to improve, IMO. Like the creamy pear and streak of chalky minerality. Solid 95 for my palate.
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5/28/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best of the World Wine Night (ex-Italy) (The csimm_M Estate): Sooo, I’m feeling pretty inflationary with my scoring compared to fellow guests and friends WBW and BS *except* when it comes to VV. I’ve had, and have another bottle in tow, the ‘19 of this, found it very well made, as I have all VV wines, with admirable precision, focus and intensity, but . . . Somehow, cold. The citric and rocky minerality notes are well-etched and demand attention, but I’m just not sure that there’s that much behind them. I felt that a bit with the ‘19 when I drank it on its own, but with the more personality, at least for me, driven Auberts within literal reach this time around, the feeling was only more profound. I like this and admire it; I’m just not sure I’ll ever quite get to loving it, at least as long as Luc and Mark stay active in the 707. 94-95+
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5/28/2023 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 97 Points
Memorial Madness at Case de Chris y Melissa - Day 2 of 2: Crisp, refreshing, mineral driven chard. Very chablis like almost in style. I dig it. There is just nothing to complain here. Maybe slightly less complex than say the Lauren but more interesting than the La Pelle Chard I had a month or two ago. Not to be missed
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5/28/2023 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 97 Points
Memorial Day Weekend, Day 2: The Great Gatsby: Aromas of dark and deep yellow fruits, with a gentle prickliness.
Deep and intense fruits on the palate. Fruit coated minerals with bitter honey, and a gentle prickliness.
Good as usual but was beat out by a notch with the Aubert Lauren.
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1/20/2023 - jeffmudd Likes this wine: 98 Points
As always CSIMM nails it, 100% agree with him.
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10/27/2022 - csimm wrote:
Every time I pop the cork on this wine, I fall in love with it all over again. It is totally my jam and one of the best representations of Chardonnay in California out there. It is (unfortunately) unique in that it is not an oak slathered movie popcorn bucket lemonade stand experience like so many of its peers in the Golden State. The purity of fruit shines through, carried by beams of acidity that can't help but be compared to top performers across the Atlantic. Its relatives are more Burgundian than Californiac. Really the only thing domestic here is the intensity and darting power that pushes the crystalline flavors forward. Otherwise, those looking for liquid powdered sugar lemon cheesecake bars should probably venture elsewhere. I hear Barefoot has an 'on-tap' box Chardonnay now; so...you're welcome...
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5/3/2022 - jeffmudd Likes this wine: 97 Points
Simply love this wine.
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3/12/2022 - gymnastpro Likes this wine:
Definitely a great Chard but just needs a little more time imo. Laser focus acidity with lemon drop notes that lasted on the palette and on the finish for 30 seconds plus. Fantastic wine that I believe can age for quite a while.
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12/9/2021 - Wine Warrior 1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good and getting better
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11/9/2021 - csimm wrote:
Halloween in the Vice Versa Cave: I’ve written quite a bit on this wine already, so I’ll keep it simple. It’s one of the best domestic Chardonnays coming out of California. It consistently flies in the 96-99 point range for me. It carries a beautiful Burgundian lift without forgetting its local ancestry. Stays succulent and fresh, not relying on heavy lumber to sweeten the deal unnecessarily. Drink now or hold a few years to add some bass tones and additional layered nuance.
Served in Jeroboam format (I think), or some sort of backbreaking Megaladon Methuselah monstrosity that makes for near-impossible pouring unless you’re some Olympic Power Push Clean and Jerk Squatter type (lift with your knees kids).
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4/27/2021 - csimm wrote:
It’s been nearly two years since I last had this wine. I’m absolutely loving it. The oak influence is so subtle that it’s barely detectable over the beautifully proportioned yellow citrus fruit flavors and accompanying acid. A top shelf Puligny-Montrachet with an extra bump in intensity. Outstanding!
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12/8/2020 - EpochMD Likes this wine: 98 Points
Unbelievable nose that combines minerality and some stone fruit with gobs of floral notes and lemon verbena trailed by hints of oak. Transcendent nose. The body is balanced with good sturdy notes of lemon curd, ripe Granny Smith apple, coconut, and a luscious finish backed again by touches of MLF and oak. Easily my favorite Chardonnay of the vintage so far, and this may represent the best value in the whole VV lineup. Just spectacular. 98
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11/11/2020 - msuwine wrote: 97 Points
This stunning Chardonnay has found another gear in the year since I tasted it last (10/19 - 95+ points), with a similar amount of intensity but such beautiful integration. The texture of this wine, in particular, has evolved into something that is energetic but layered, something that is more easily said than done in domestic Chardonnay.
Light yellow, almost clear in color; medium in body; nose of green apple, dried apricot, sliced almond, and saline. Flavors of grapefruit, fresh apricot, pineapple, and minerals, with a softer finish that still offers bright acidity. 14.1% alcohol. This has entered its drinking window, but it could be even better in another 6-18 months, as it continues to unfold. What a wine.
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8/9/2020 - OG-Wino Does not like this wine:
I'm going with "I just don't get this wine".
Despite 6 hours of air on day one, and then another 3 hours on day two after the day one experience left me wanting, I never got past the super-acidic, super-lemon-grapefruit stage. Never found the weight that others experiences either. No honey, no stone, no minerality -- just tart yellow/pink citrus.
I am almost always aligned in my notes with the most of the others who commented on this wine, and I'm also a fan of all of the other Vice Versa wines, so this is very confusing to me. Since I had a similar reaction (and dissonance) re: the 2016 VV Platt Chardonnay, I'm left with the sad conclusion that this wine is simply beyond my understanding.
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7/13/2020 - overspeed62 Likes this wine: 99 Points
I can’t say it any better than CSIMM and think those comments are spot on. This wine is just so beautifully balanced and delicious. Our favorite Chardonnay from California. It’s early but I think the 2018 will be fantastic as well.
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10/30/2019 - msuwine wrote: 95 Points
This explosive and tense Chardonnay is still another 6-12 months from its drinking window, but - my oh my - what a ride it is today. Csimm did a tremendous job explaining two key things: (1) this needs air, a lot of it; and (2) this has an intensity that is downright forceful - and delicious.
Light yellow, almost silver in color, and medium in body, the wine offers compelling aromas of lemon rind, grapefruit, under-ripe peach, and ocean air. The wine tastes quite zingy upon opening, but air unfolds an incredible array of flavors, including green apple, cantaloupe, gooseberry, and saline, with a nervy and bright finish that goes on and on (and on and on). 14.1% alcohol.
This reminds me a bit of the Paul Lato wines from the Central Coast, which are pure, explosive, and somewhat inward in the early going. Compared to the Lato wines, though, the Vice Versa offers more fruit - albeit now citrus-driven - that should integrate and blossom in the near future. 95+ for now, but this is an incredibly promising wine.
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6/8/2019 - csimm wrote: 99 Points
A much more complete animal than the barrel sample I had back in November. Initially, the first sips were certainly youthfully linear and hyper-focused. A massive cut and acid blast that was fortified with fresh squeezed lemon juice and white peach and pear notes. At first, this finished a bit nuclear, exploding on the back end with a lip-smacking acidity and radiating tension, quickly puckering-up the back of the mouth. The cheetah-like energy on this thing was super intense.
With a significant amount of open air and some vigorous swirling over the course of an hour or so, this really blossomed with more weighty yellow citrus, lime, peach, and pumice notes. The mid-palate found a center drop that enabled the flavors to exhibit some needed viscosity and depth. The expansion fanned-out with gorgeous gymnast dexterity, but also with balance and finesse. Ultimately, this finished with an exciting combination of verve and sophistication.
Compared to the 2016, the 2017 currently carries more sheer intensity and drive. I’m still tasting the finish on the 2017. The propulsion is crazy-energetic and penetrating. Such heightened momentum here.
A wild and awesomely invigorating wine right now (enhanced with air), but a wine that begs for a number of years in-bottle to really reach its optimum drinking window. But once it does, Holy Christ Almighty. Watch out for this one! 97-99+ points.
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11/29/2018 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:
Barrel sample. This isn't the final blend of this wine, so no way to really rate it accurately but I'll just give some general impressions. First, to my mind the 2016 Platt Chard is just tremendous and there's a lot to live up to with the second vintage. From what I tasted, I think the 2017 is well on its way.
This was super duper crazy sexy and opulent. It was showing tons of gorgeous and pure lemon and peach fruit with hints of honey and stone. It was quite forward and a bit fruity even, but Patrice mentioned that would change with the blend and his goal would be for the final product to be a bit more minerally like the 2016. This has tons of tension and energy and is very exciting. I expect it to be fabulous.
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11/29/2018 - csimm wrote:
Barrel sample.
Yowzers!.... Here’s a wine to keep a watchful eye out for once it gets closer to bottling. What an intense display of yellow core fruit, with a lip-smacking acidity that tastes like the best lemon drop you’ve ever had. If fresh squeezed lemon juice ever found a way to be sexy, the 2017 Vice Versa Platt Chardonnay would be that gateway. A runway model holding a machine gun.
Beyond the instantly captivating front end displaying a racy and sultry hit-me-with-your-best-shot delivery, it utterly radiates liquid energy and purity. It’s a center kick pucker factor without the sour or biting back end. Awesomely popping and full of life. Vivacious and crazy swift in its attack, this Platt plays Jackie Joyner-Kersee over the palate, lapping back for more with a finish that I’m still tasting.
Hints of sulfur on the back end remind you this is still an unfinished wine that will certainly find more balance and integration when it makes its way closer to bottle birth. I can’t wait to check out this rambunctious rabble-rouser once its metamorphosis is complete. An upper 90s++ wine in the making.
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