Last bottle of this superb Chardonnay. Still delivering plenty of flavor. Tastes of butterscotch, citrus, hay and treacle. Tastes great with fresh July 4th lobster dinner.
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I was able to taste this again, from a just-opened bottle at something like 60 F, confirming that the increased complexity I found on 7/10 after 40 minutes in the glass was indeed the result of the warmer temperature, not of air contact. Tasting another bottle also confirmed that the overall balance of this wine seems to have gently shifted toward oak and away from fruit.
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I was able to taste this again a year later (see 6/9/21, 3/7/21/, and 12/13/20). I have no idea whether the change was in the wine, or in me, or whether it was just this particular bottle, but this time around there's nowhere near the complexity of the earlier experiences. Butterscotch and lemon peel, vivid oak, canteloupe, vanilla, beautiful richness balanced by healthy acidity, with a long long aftertaste. Still absolutely a strikingly lovely wine, even if not at the level of the earlier bottles. It may be that the complex fruit is now fading and the oak is coming to the fore? Improves with 40 minutes in the glass--I initially scored this at 92 points. I'm suspecting that this improvement is more due to the warmer temperature of the wine (at its best it was at a cool red wine temperature) than to air contact. I'll try to find an opportunity to taste this again soon.
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This wine keeps improving, so am bumping up the score from the last time opened, about 1 1/2 years ago. Sure glad l held on to a few bottles until now. A nicely balanced chardonnay with lemon and butterscotch flavors balanced with bracing acidity. Head and shoulders better than so many other California chardonnays. Fairly priced at $30/btl at WTSO.
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This is drinking well right now. Initially, notes of lemon, with some oak, good minerality. The wine continued opening up and revealing more. Glad I bought 6 bottles to enjoy.
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Simply gorgeous at this point. Golden colored. Smell combines ripe apple, lemon and a bit of marine or possibly hazelnut. Taste has a hint of quince or guava (in a positive way as I am not a fan of either). Long finish. Why the efff didn't I buy more...?
Sadly, my last of three bottles and I didn't want it to end. The finish is just spectacular, especially closer to room temperature. Lovely, lovely wine...
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My third and final bottle of this one, and even more beautiful than the ones before. Just a gorgeous wine. (See my notes of 3/27/21 and 12/30/29.) It dances in the mouth. I'd add a touch of ginger to my earlier description, but aside from that the change is less in the objective qualities than in the way the wine presents itself--now magical where it was factual before. Very special.
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This chard just impresses so. Incredibly well balanced, keeps you guessing with each sip - Cali? Burgundy? It's both. So good with oaky notes, mineral, and apple. Finishes strong and long.
QPR 7.5 (of 10)
Aging 2024 at least
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This chard just impresses so. Incredibly well balanced, keeps you guessing with each sip - Cali? Burgundy? It's both. So good with oaky notes, mineral, and apple. Finishes storng and long.
QPR 7.5 (of 10)
Aging 2024 at least
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Smooth and silky with loads of flavor. Everything is well integrated and the wine is hitting its stride just beautifully. I am kicking myself for not buying more for sure. Lovely.
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This is now just gorgeous. The harshness of 12/13/20 (see my earlier note of that date) is gone. Everything else is as it was, but even more so--the wine has now come together beautifully.
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Just a bit more rounded than several prior bottles, but in a way that suggests more integration than oxidation. Still has the wonderful citric note on the back end which keeps this lean, balanced and very food friendly. Optimal around cellar temperature. Best chard I've had in several years that didn't have Mark Aubert's imprimatur on it (including several Peter Michael's) and larcenous at the $29.99/btl I paid. Drink in the next 2-3+ years. 94+ if scoring.
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Medium golden yellow and clear in appearance. Fresh attack on the nose with some rich golden apples, pears, pineapple, roasted nuts and honeysuckle. Medium plus body with medium plus acidity (6.5/10). Layered palate with vanilla beans, pineapple, golden delicious apples and creme. Long finish. Drink till 2024.
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A classy wine. Pears, caramel, mangos, lemons, flowers, honey. Initially a bit of oaky harshness in the extremely long and increasingly intense aftertaste, but that vanishes after a few minutes in the glass, with caramel and then honey and, finally, vanilla, emerging in its place. I wouldn't be surprised if this wine ever so slightly improved even over the next few months, and I'd expect it to remain impressive for at least two more years.
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A very tasty chardonnay, with grapefruit, lemon treacle and butterscotch flavors. The bracing acidity makes this wine taste like it's only been in the bottle for a year or two. A great buy at WTSO.
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Outstanding! Wonderful nose, rich texture, flavors and looong finish. Strong butterscotch and pear flavors with the ripe fruit overlying the soft oak influence.
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As others have commented, this is an excellent, well balanced chardonnay that may not be easily identified as domestic. At the price paid an excellent QPR as well.
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Medium golden yellow and clear in appearance. Fresh attack on the nose with some hidden richness in the undertones. Notes of pear, toasted oak, pineapple, and honeysuckle appear on the nose and continue through the palate. Medium plus bodied with vanilla and a bit of creme and medium plus acidity (6.5/10). Long finish. Drink till 2024.
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93-95: Serious "whoa" factor - floral nose, oaky at first, apple notes, looooooonnnnnggggg finish. Oak blew off quickly - it's ripe, fresh, crisp, lingering, it's seriously beautiful. The Puligny comparisons are legit. Absolutely a steal at $29 from WTSO.
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Apple and melon notes throughout, with citrus emerging overtime. Some richness from a notable, but not overdone oak influence. Brilliant acidity and a fine finish.
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Light verde color, glycerine medium body, faint white peach/floral nose, palate adds lots of charred oak, acid forward but in great balance. Understated, but very pleasant. I’m no great Chard fan, but this one is certainly enjoyable, punching way above its weight class.
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I concur with SFwinelover and have little to add to the excellent analysis below. I too tend to shy away from domestic wines, CA Chard in particular, but I'm glad I kept an open mind and ordered this. If this had been presented to me as a $100+ Puligny Montrachet, I would have been perfectly convinced and satisfied.
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While I'm not sure if the prior writer had a bad bottle--which happens too often with the online wine clearinghouse--or if it's just a case of radically different palates--I'm not getting anything remotely tart in this wine. While it's true that it doesn't have the tinge of sweetness you might find in La Crema, KJ or Acacia, or even at the higher end, in PM or Aubert, this wine is far less tart than an average good quality French Chablis. Subtle, long, elegant and balanced, with the citric note adding just a touch of savoriness, this wine is terrific, almost absurdly so at the price I paid, and going gangbusters, as my mother would have said, on night 3. JD's 96 may be high, but it's a lot closer to where I am than 83. Reiterate high recommendation, 93-94 if scoring.
First of 3 ($29.99@) from a recent online wine clearinghouse purchase. Just the second US wine I've bought from them, as their Italian, French, Iberian and Australian selections are usually more interesting to me. I've bought RG chards before when I've visited their beautiful facility, although as much to defray tasting fees as because of love of their wines. Opened with a 1 oz pour, then let sit for an hour or so, but TNs were pretty constant. On the nose and palate, semi-sweet orange, Meyer lemon, crushed rock, steely minerality, white flowers and lesser notes of oak, sweet apples and pears. Light silverish gold, medium+ bodied, light to medium legs. Medium+ acidity, the slightest touch of heat. Medium++ bodied, medium to powerful intensity, very good persistence. Fantastic complement to seared scallops with porcini mushrooms on night 1 and grilled chicken on night 2. Elegant, surprisingly powerful yet subtle, this wine far surpassed my expectations and was crazy good qpr. This is easily one of the best half dozen chards I've reviewed on CT and could have risen even further with just a bit more assertive fruit. Vineyard managed by the acclaimed Ulysses Valdez. Tasting more like early than late drinking window with several years of excellent drinking left and possible improvement. Will buy more if I see again at this price. JD's 96 is quantitatively high but qualitatively correct. Highly recommended. 93-94
1/21/2024 - Tocororo wrote: 93 Points
Paired with baked sea bass. Beautiful tropical fruits and creamy mouth feel. Long finish. In a great spot now.
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7/22/2023 - psk wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding. Drinking beautifully, rich, balanced, sufficient acidity still.
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7/2/2023 - NutmegNative Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle of this superb Chardonnay. Still delivering plenty of flavor. Tastes of butterscotch, citrus, hay and treacle. Tastes great with fresh July 4th lobster dinner.
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11/25/2022 - psk wrote: 91 Points
I love this wine, but acidity has dropped to a point where is past peak. Time to drink up.
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11/19/2022 - lovemycab wrote: 92 Points
Consistent notes with prior posts in that this has shifted away from the fruit and more to the oak. Not my preference so will hope it shifts back.
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7/12/2022 - SpenceP wrote: 94 Points
I was able to taste this again, from a just-opened bottle at something like 60 F, confirming that the increased complexity I found on 7/10 after 40 minutes in the glass was indeed the result of the warmer temperature, not of air contact. Tasting another bottle also confirmed that the overall balance of this wine seems to have gently shifted toward oak and away from fruit.
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7/10/2022 - SpenceP wrote: 94 Points
I was able to taste this again a year later (see 6/9/21, 3/7/21/, and 12/13/20). I have no idea whether the change was in the wine, or in me, or whether it was just this particular bottle, but this time around there's nowhere near the complexity of the earlier experiences. Butterscotch and lemon peel, vivid oak, canteloupe, vanilla, beautiful richness balanced by healthy acidity, with a long long aftertaste. Still absolutely a strikingly lovely wine, even if not at the level of the earlier bottles. It may be that the complex fruit is now fading and the oak is coming to the fore? Improves with 40 minutes in the glass--I initially scored this at 92 points. I'm suspecting that this improvement is more due to the warmer temperature of the wine (at its best it was at a cool red wine temperature) than to air contact. I'll try to find an opportunity to taste this again soon.
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5/29/2022 - NutmegNative Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine keeps improving, so am bumping up the score from the last time opened, about 1 1/2 years ago. Sure glad l held on to a few bottles until now. A nicely balanced chardonnay with lemon and butterscotch flavors balanced with bracing acidity. Head and shoulders better than so many other California chardonnays. Fairly priced at $30/btl at WTSO.
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2/18/2022 - lovemycab Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is drinking well right now. Initially, notes of lemon, with some oak, good minerality. The wine continued opening up and revealing more. Glad I bought 6 bottles to enjoy.
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11/12/2021 - guribh wrote: 93 Points
Simply gorgeous at this point. Golden colored. Smell combines ripe apple, lemon and a bit of marine or possibly hazelnut. Taste has a hint of quince or guava (in a positive way as I am not a fan of either). Long finish. Why the efff didn't I buy more...?
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9/21/2021 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:
Like Ol' Man River. Consistent scoring with prior notes. Great stuff.
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8/13/2021 - Thebigbaby Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sadly, my last of three bottles and I didn't want it to end. The finish is just spectacular, especially closer to room temperature. Lovely, lovely wine...
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6/9/2021 - SpenceP wrote: 96 Points
My third and final bottle of this one, and even more beautiful than the ones before. Just a gorgeous wine. (See my notes of 3/27/21 and 12/30/29.) It dances in the mouth. I'd add a touch of ginger to my earlier description, but aside from that the change is less in the objective qualities than in the way the wine presents itself--now magical where it was factual before. Very special.
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6/5/2021 - BBinSC wrote: 93 Points
This chard just impresses so. Incredibly well balanced, keeps you guessing with each sip - Cali? Burgundy? It's both. So good with oaky notes, mineral, and apple. Finishes strong and long.
QPR 7.5 (of 10)
Aging 2024 at least
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5/16/2021 - BBinSC wrote: 93 Points
This chard just impresses so. Incredibly well balanced, keeps you guessing with each sip - Cali? Burgundy? It's both. So good with oaky notes, mineral, and apple. Finishes storng and long.
QPR 7.5 (of 10)
Aging 2024 at least
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5/2/2021 - Quaffing in Colorado Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nothing to add to prior reviews. As previously noted, outstanding and a steal at $30/bottle.
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4/18/2021 - Thebigbaby Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth and silky with loads of flavor. Everything is well integrated and the wine is hitting its stride just beautifully. I am kicking myself for not buying more for sure. Lovely.
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3/27/2021 - SpenceP wrote: 95 Points
This is now just gorgeous. The harshness of 12/13/20 (see my earlier note of that date) is gone. Everything else is as it was, but even more so--the wine has now come together beautifully.
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2/23/2021 - sfwinelover1 wrote:
Just a bit more rounded than several prior bottles, but in a way that suggests more integration than oxidation. Still has the wonderful citric note on the back end which keeps this lean, balanced and very food friendly. Optimal around cellar temperature. Best chard I've had in several years that didn't have Mark Aubert's imprimatur on it (including several Peter Michael's) and larcenous at the $29.99/btl I paid. Drink in the next 2-3+ years. 94+ if scoring.
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2/19/2021 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Medium golden yellow and clear in appearance. Fresh attack on the nose with some rich golden apples, pears, pineapple, roasted nuts and honeysuckle. Medium plus body with medium plus acidity (6.5/10). Layered palate with vanilla beans, pineapple, golden delicious apples and creme. Long finish. Drink till 2024.
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12/13/2020 - SpenceP wrote: 94 Points
A classy wine. Pears, caramel, mangos, lemons, flowers, honey. Initially a bit of oaky harshness in the extremely long and increasingly intense aftertaste, but that vanishes after a few minutes in the glass, with caramel and then honey and, finally, vanilla, emerging in its place. I wouldn't be surprised if this wine ever so slightly improved even over the next few months, and I'd expect it to remain impressive for at least two more years.
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11/26/2020 - NutmegNative Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very tasty chardonnay, with grapefruit, lemon treacle and butterscotch flavors. The bracing acidity makes this wine taste like it's only been in the bottle for a year or two. A great buy at WTSO.
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11/18/2020 - Cellarseller Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding! Wonderful nose, rich texture, flavors and looong finish. Strong butterscotch and pear flavors with the ripe fruit overlying the soft oak influence.
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10/24/2020 - Thebigbaby Likes this wine: 92 Points
As others have commented, this is an excellent, well balanced chardonnay that may not be easily identified as domestic. At the price paid an excellent QPR as well.
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10/23/2020 - wiscgrad wrote: 94 Points
Unbelievable deal from Wtso
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10/16/2020 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Medium golden yellow and clear in appearance. Fresh attack on the nose with some hidden richness in the undertones. Notes of pear, toasted oak, pineapple, and honeysuckle appear on the nose and continue through the palate. Medium plus bodied with vanilla and a bit of creme and medium plus acidity (6.5/10). Long finish. Drink till 2024.
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10/16/2020 - BBinSC wrote: 93 Points
93-95: Serious "whoa" factor - floral nose, oaky at first, apple notes, looooooonnnnnggggg finish. Oak blew off quickly - it's ripe, fresh, crisp, lingering, it's seriously beautiful. The Puligny comparisons are legit. Absolutely a steal at $29 from WTSO.
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10/8/2020 - gmbdds wrote: 92 Points
Apple and melon notes throughout, with citrus emerging overtime. Some richness from a notable, but not overdone oak influence. Brilliant acidity and a fine finish.
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10/7/2020 - Zafer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light verde color, glycerine medium body, faint white peach/floral nose, palate adds lots of charred oak, acid forward but in great balance. Understated, but very pleasant. I’m no great Chard fan, but this one is certainly enjoyable, punching way above its weight class.
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8/24/2020 - tlhnyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
I concur with SFwinelover and have little to add to the excellent analysis below. I too tend to shy away from domestic wines, CA Chard in particular, but I'm glad I kept an open mind and ordered this. If this had been presented to me as a $100+ Puligny Montrachet, I would have been perfectly convinced and satisfied.
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8/21/2020 - sfwinelover1 wrote:
While I'm not sure if the prior writer had a bad bottle--which happens too often with the online wine clearinghouse--or if it's just a case of radically different palates--I'm not getting anything remotely tart in this wine. While it's true that it doesn't have the tinge of sweetness you might find in La Crema, KJ or Acacia, or even at the higher end, in PM or Aubert, this wine is far less tart than an average good quality French Chablis. Subtle, long, elegant and balanced, with the citric note adding just a touch of savoriness, this wine is terrific, almost absurdly so at the price I paid, and going gangbusters, as my mother would have said, on night 3. JD's 96 may be high, but it's a lot closer to where I am than 83. Reiterate high recommendation, 93-94 if scoring.
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8/20/2020 - WineCPA wrote: 83 Points
Did not care for this at all. Lots of green apple and pear. Very tart. Jolly rancher tart.
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8/20/2020 - Fml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasty, smooth, full flavor, very good
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6/27/2020 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
First of 3 ($29.99@) from a recent online wine clearinghouse purchase. Just the second US wine I've bought from them, as their Italian, French, Iberian and Australian selections are usually more interesting to me. I've bought RG chards before when I've visited their beautiful facility, although as much to defray tasting fees as because of love of their wines. Opened with a 1 oz pour, then let sit for an hour or so, but TNs were pretty constant. On the nose and palate, semi-sweet orange, Meyer lemon, crushed rock, steely minerality, white flowers and lesser notes of oak, sweet apples and pears. Light silverish gold, medium+ bodied, light to medium legs. Medium+ acidity, the slightest touch of heat. Medium++ bodied, medium to powerful intensity, very good persistence. Fantastic complement to seared scallops with porcini mushrooms on night 1 and grilled chicken on night 2. Elegant, surprisingly powerful yet subtle, this wine far surpassed my expectations and was crazy good qpr. This is easily one of the best half dozen chards I've reviewed on CT and could have risen even further with just a bit more assertive fruit. Vineyard managed by the acclaimed Ulysses Valdez. Tasting more like early than late drinking window with several years of excellent drinking left and possible improvement. Will buy more if I see again at this price. JD's 96 is quantitatively high but qualitatively correct. Highly recommended. 93-94
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