just what the doctor ordered for an afternoon wine with dried fruit and nuts ... a bit darker in color than i remember getting on to that honey / amber look, but still a 'satisfy all' CA chard ...
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One of my favourite producers in Napa Valley...had a bottle of this with friends at The Inn at Erlowest in Lake George, NY. Nice treat because of such a good vintage and the fact we paired it up with a caramalized scallops and calamari dish. This Chardonnay was perfection here, beautiful creamy backbone with toasty, spicy oak. Nectarines, tangerines, and tropical fruits dance off your palate and were a seamless fit to this dish. It does not hurt that the atmoshere was also perfect with a princess by my side!
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4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Mike & LA's): Opens with floral and crab apple aromas, and with time the floral qualities dominate. Bright acidity on the palate, with apple and pear nuances. Nice, but I was not guessing Chardonnay.
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Well, tonight I needed a white wine to cook with so, I saw this laying in the cellar, as it was leftover from the party we hosted last month for Stefania Wines. Thankfully, the recipe only called for about a 1/3 of a cup, so that would leave plenty to enjoy with dinner. Nice golden straw color in the glass, with a nose of green apple and pear. Minor nuances of passion fruit, and definitely some oak here. You can also sense the alcohol on the nose, but at almost 15%, this doesn't surprise me one bit. On the palate, the first thing you notice here is the oak. Definitely a ton of oak there, and it needs some time to integrate. While some people enjoy this, it is just a bit overwhelming to me. Even so, you get some nice citrus on the palate, with some more of the green apple. The alcohol is there, as well as a bit of buttery-ness, but the oak stick really smacks you in the face here. I had about two glasses, and vacuumed the remaining glass and a half for the next day. On day 2, the oak has managed to settle out a bit, but it's still there. Don't get me wrong, I like oaked chardonnays, but this seems just a bit intrusive to me. Call me crazy, but as most of our readers know, we really love chardonnay from Kistler, Aubert, Rivers-Marie, Auteur, etc. I'll refrain from rating this wine, but for those of you who have them in their cellars, who are not big fans of oak, I'd hold for another 2-5 cheers. Cheers!
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I found the oak more prominent in this bottle than in the past. Lots of popcorn and butter. Ann loved this and I enjoyed it, but I am starting to gravitate more toward wines with less oak, butter and marshmallow, etc. such as the Wind Gap and Y Rousseau Milady chardonnays.
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Pear and apple up front, lots of butter and vanilla the rest of the way. It's big and creamy with a long finish, but good balance and acidity overall. I think I liked the 2006 a little more.
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Trip to Napa/Sonoma; 11/7/2009-11/14/2009 (Napa/Sonoma): Simple nose of pear, apple with a little cedar and nuts. palate was crisp with a little oak and touch of vanilla. Medium finish. Lacking complexity but quite refreshing.
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Ripe figs and pears. The nose presents a bit of a granny smith apple pie element and the finish is surprisingly clean for this style. Not over oaked and plenty of complexity. Very fair value.
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Citrus, tropical fruit and butter on the nose. Nicely balanced wine. Not too oaky. Very long finish with hints of butterscotch, and marshmallow. Oily mouthfeel but then nice acidity cuts through. Will buy more.
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Full bodied, with an almost waxy, Viognier-like texture, this is a delight, offering interesting flavors of peach, apple, honeysuckle and cinnamon, and a long, persistent finish that reveals notes of almonds and brown butter. Well balanced with focused acidity.
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I'm not much of a fan of Napa chards, but this was put together pretty well. We enjoyed this with sandwiches from Bouchon's bakery in Yountville while visiting Chappellet and it was a crowd pleaser. Rich creamy apples, pears, quince, brioche toast and vanilla, the wine had great acidity and a smooth finish. Medium bodied with nice tropical notes and better than average persistence. Worth the money.
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4/22/2013 - snipes Likes this wine:
Drinking nicely. I see no reason to hold further, but should hold out a couple more years.
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3/22/2013 - The Vinsider wrote: 90 Points
Lush and rich without being too heavy or dramatically overoaked. Pineapple, mango and citrus notes. Very Napa.
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9/23/2012 - mdfuller Likes this wine: 89 Points
just what the doctor ordered for an afternoon wine with dried fruit and nuts ... a bit darker in color than i remember getting on to that honey / amber look, but still a 'satisfy all' CA chard ...
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6/4/2012 - xboomer wrote: 86 Points
Should have drank it a year ago.
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5/15/2012 - oenophilemoose wrote: 89 Points
Silky and buttery....very nice.
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9/5/2011 - xboomer wrote: 89 Points
I am glad I bought this Char. For the price, it does not disappoint
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8/9/2011 - Fishboy wrote: 89 Points
Very enjoyable chard with apple, pear, oak and butter notes.
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7/26/2011 - claramc3 wrote: 95 Points
Great wine, very buttery and soft.
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7/9/2011 - xboomer wrote: 90 Points
Saturday afternoon I opened this very good Char.
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6/11/2011 - fullpint wrote: 92 Points
One of my favourite producers in Napa Valley...had a bottle of this with friends at The Inn at Erlowest in Lake George, NY. Nice treat because of such a good vintage and the fact we paired it up with a caramalized scallops and calamari dish. This Chardonnay was perfection here, beautiful creamy backbone with toasty, spicy oak. Nectarines, tangerines, and tropical fruits dance off your palate and were a seamless fit to this dish. It does not hurt that the atmoshere was also perfect with a princess by my side!
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2/22/2011 - floating_cellar wrote: 91 Points
great chard, even better as a hidden gem for under $20
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2/20/2011 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (Mike & LA's): Opens with floral and crab apple aromas, and with time the floral qualities dominate. Bright acidity on the palate, with apple and pear nuances. Nice, but I was not guessing Chardonnay.
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1/6/2011 - ivsimler wrote: 88 Points
Good chardonnay
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12/28/2010 - JonGray wrote: 84 Points
Really nice - buttery chard - great on a hot evening with Cyndi on the patio (one for teh memory books).... A gift from Lee?
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12/18/2010 - Mony411 wrote: 90 Points
Great wine. Has a butter finish. Very long in the taste with a pear and apple taste.
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11/24/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
From memory this was enjoyable but a little oaky and not quite as crisp as I would like. Apple and pears. Ann and the others really enjoyed it.
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11/14/2010 - Maz wrote: 91 Points
Green apple and pear with well integrated oak. and a big long finish I really like this wine
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10/7/2010 - markjahnke wrote:
Well, tonight I needed a white wine to cook with so, I saw this laying in the cellar, as it was leftover from the party we hosted last month for Stefania Wines. Thankfully, the recipe only called for about a 1/3 of a cup, so that would leave plenty to enjoy with dinner. Nice golden straw color in the glass, with a nose of green apple and pear. Minor nuances of passion fruit, and definitely some oak here. You can also sense the alcohol on the nose, but at almost 15%, this doesn't surprise me one bit. On the palate, the first thing you notice here is the oak. Definitely a ton of oak there, and it needs some time to integrate. While some people enjoy this, it is just a bit overwhelming to me. Even so, you get some nice citrus on the palate, with some more of the green apple. The alcohol is there, as well as a bit of buttery-ness, but the oak stick really smacks you in the face here. I had about two glasses, and vacuumed the remaining glass and a half for the next day. On day 2, the oak has managed to settle out a bit, but it's still there. Don't get me wrong, I like oaked chardonnays, but this seems just a bit intrusive to me. Call me crazy, but as most of our readers know, we really love chardonnay from Kistler, Aubert, Rivers-Marie, Auteur, etc. I'll refrain from rating this wine, but for those of you who have them in their cellars, who are not big fans of oak, I'd hold for another 2-5 cheers. Cheers!
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7/23/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
I found the oak more prominent in this bottle than in the past. Lots of popcorn and butter. Ann loved this and I enjoyed it, but I am starting to gravitate more toward wines with less oak, butter and marshmallow, etc. such as the Wind Gap and Y Rousseau Milady chardonnays.
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6/8/2010 - nogohawk wrote: 91 Points
Drank over 2 nights - VG Cali Chardonnay - a bit of oak with a pleasant finish.
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3/2/2010 - curtr wrote: 90 Points
Like this better than the 2006. Better depth & balance.
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2/21/2010 - RMundell wrote: 86 Points
Lot's of oak!
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12/15/2009 - nogohawk wrote: 91 Points
VG chardonney - golden straw color; fruity with a nice finish - not too much oak
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11/26/2009 - VinoTx wrote: 89 Points
Pear and apple up front, lots of butter and vanilla the rest of the way. It's big and creamy with a long finish, but good balance and acidity overall. I think I liked the 2006 a little more.
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11/22/2009 - Outplaying wrote:
Wine with Friends (Ann's, Avondale, PA): Nice crisp chardonnay; pear and apple.
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11/8/2009 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
Trip to Napa/Sonoma; 11/7/2009-11/14/2009 (Napa/Sonoma): Simple nose of pear, apple with a little cedar and nuts. palate was crisp with a little oak and touch of vanilla. Medium finish. Lacking complexity but quite refreshing.
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10/5/2009 - smphelps wrote: 91 Points
Ripe figs and pears. The nose presents a bit of a granny smith apple pie element and the finish is surprisingly clean for this style. Not over oaked and plenty of complexity. Very fair value.
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8/5/2009 - Outplaying wrote:
No notes but we both enjoyed it.
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6/27/2009 - Venezia wrote: 90 Points
nicely balanced chardonnay
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6/11/2009 - cck wrote: 89 Points
Very nice and balanced considering the high 14.8% alc.
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4/27/2009 - Wink wrote: 88 Points
Drank in Florida for the weekend. Didn't take notes. Overall impression: Pretty good. Not great.
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2/8/2009 - Outplaying wrote:
Citrus, tropical fruit and butter on the nose. Nicely balanced wine. Not too oaky. Very long finish with hints of butterscotch, and marshmallow. Oily mouthfeel but then nice acidity cuts through. Will buy more.
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2/4/2009 - wino_tim wrote: 91 Points
Full bodied, with an almost waxy, Viognier-like texture, this is a delight, offering interesting flavors of peach, apple, honeysuckle and cinnamon, and a long, persistent finish that reveals notes of almonds and brown butter. Well balanced with focused acidity.
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11/15/2008 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
I'm not much of a fan of Napa chards, but this was put together pretty well. We enjoyed this with sandwiches from Bouchon's bakery in Yountville while visiting Chappellet and it was a crowd pleaser. Rich creamy apples, pears, quince, brioche toast and vanilla, the wine had great acidity and a smooth finish. Medium bodied with nice tropical notes and better than average persistence. Worth the money.
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