10-12-08: This wine has aged well but no reason to wait to drink the next and last one as it will not get better is my guess. Dark gold color, and a llittle age has given the wine even more complexity and nuance than when younger. This wine is all about craftmanship and good grapes. It is balanced from the nose thru the finish. THe nose is apple/pear and cirtrus, with some marhmallow notes i do not recall from earlier bottles. It is a full bodied well with great balance of fruit and acidity, and the flavors are stone fruit, citrus and cream, with the long finish highlighted by minerality.
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Past its prime or the bottle was flawed. Could have been less than optimal storage on my part, but the fruit seemed weak or at best fading once opened. Had a bottle last October that was rounded and full bodied.
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At first opening it was creamy with a full finish almost over the top but became a little unbalanced as it evolved in the glass. Picked up butter and a bit of citrus with wood undertones and flowers in the nose. Drink up now!
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A delightful CA style Chard. Lemon, vanilla,. Certain oak and an initial crisp acidity. I liked the balanced between the in the crisp and defined flavors in the mouth, and the long fat finish on the end. Some tropical fruits and some pear linger at the end.
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Brought to the offline at the LostVerse house by Scubarex. I thought this wine had excessive alcohol notes. Over oaked as well. I'm not a fan of Chardonnay and this exhibited almost everything I don't like about it. 83 points.
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I've yet to taste a 98 pt Chard and I'm still waiting ;) Complex, evolving nose of vanilla, butter, nectarine and marshmallow. Definitely a full-bodied Cali Chard, with oak and creamy flavors, some orangey-citrus tang. Finish is smooth and creamy.
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Gold in color. Thickly coats the glass and just lingers there, seemingly forever. Can't improve on the very accurate tasting note provided by Barstool below. Nice catch on the marshmallow! I also picked up some nectarine and honey on the nose. It's full, rich and creamy, beautifully balanced, with a dry, clean finish. A wonderful wine.
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My impressions are generally consistent with previous notes, although I'm not getting the tropical fruit vibe so much, the smokey toasty ripeness is there with some stone and flower undertones as is a lemon-butter finish. Very creamy and a little spicy. Yes, a California Chard with maloactic fermentation and contact with oak, but a far better than average version than most. I agree that it is not as great out of the fridge. 98 points is insanely high, but Tanzer's 87 might be a little harsh, too... although the oak influence is underlying matters, it isn't distracting, either... guess that's called "integrated" --?
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I'm a big red drinker but this was rated 98pts so I wanted to try it and see what the hype was about. Light golden color, nose of tropical fruits, pineapple, some citrus. The taste was incredibly creamy, good acidity to balance the sweetness but overall pretty dry. Not overpowered by oak as most California Chardonnay are prone to. There was pleasant toastiness/smokiness.
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I drink almost exclusively red wines. A friend recommended this, but I just don't get it. Vague flavors of lemon, butter, and pear. A fine summer quaff.
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With dinner of grilled chicken/mango/spinach salad. Just a lovely, highly malolactic chardonnay. Lemon curd, vanilla/buttery notes and a hint of that cinnamon(?) note I find in Varner B block. Very nice...
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Chronicle:Cab.-Mer. like; rich vanilla and cassis fruit; delicious. Well-made med. big mth and t’s, hard leather; sticky mth. 98 pts Wine Enthousiast!! (give me a break!)
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3/20/2013 - dmitchell4 wrote: 90 Points
Drink now
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12/31/2011 - jfmontreal wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic golden color, well integrated and balanced from the nose to the finish. Belle note de fut de chêne et d'agrumes.
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8/22/2009 - jjoster wrote: 86 Points
Over oaked and buttery. Not my style, but not bad.
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1/8/2009 - brjb7 wrote: 89 Points
deep golden color, with rich mouthfeel...vanilla undertones still a little too much heat.
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12/24/2008 - Cunningham wrote:
4.5/5 Stars; fat, rich, oaky in that order
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11/19/2008 - ralphie312 wrote: 89 Points
Special and much better than expected.
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10/18/2008 - enosnob wrote: 91 Points
10-12-08: This wine has aged well but no reason to wait to drink the next and last one as it will not get better is my guess. Dark gold color, and a llittle age has given the wine even more complexity and nuance than when younger. This wine is all about craftmanship and good grapes. It is balanced from the nose thru the finish. THe nose is apple/pear and cirtrus, with some marhmallow notes i do not recall from earlier bottles. It is a full bodied well with great balance of fruit and acidity, and the flavors are stone fruit, citrus and cream, with the long finish highlighted by minerality.
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7/28/2008 - BigGer wrote: 84 Points
Not nearly as round and seamless as my last bottle. Perhaps coming to the end of its shelf life.
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7/18/2008 - Quez wrote: 86 Points
Past its prime or the bottle was flawed. Could have been less than optimal storage on my part, but the fruit seemed weak or at best fading once opened. Had a bottle last October that was rounded and full bodied.
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5/14/2008 - mkparker wrote: 90 Points
Melon and vanilla on the nose. Beautiful round oak and vanilla with pineapple and just a touch of citrus.
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5/2/2008 - brjb7 wrote: 91 Points
At first opening it was creamy with a full finish almost over the top but became a little unbalanced as it evolved in the glass. Picked up butter and a bit of citrus with wood undertones and flowers in the nose. Drink up now!
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3/11/2008 - jsherdc wrote: 92 Points
Nice toasted oak flavour with actually balances the fruit.
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2/28/2008 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Very nice and balanced, good acidity and showing well at this age.
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11/12/2007 - spendergast wrote: 92 Points
Nice fruit with just the right amount of oak, well balanced.
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2/14/2007 - signotim wrote: 93 Points
Great nose of pear and citrus fruit. Nice balance of oak and crisp fruit. finish lingers... nicely done.
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1/7/2007 - Mark wrote: 93 Points
A delightful CA style Chard. Lemon, vanilla,. Certain oak and an initial crisp acidity. I liked the balanced between the in the crisp and defined flavors in the mouth, and the long fat finish on the end. Some tropical fruits and some pear linger at the end.
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1/3/2007 - Vino Me wrote: 83 Points
Brought to the offline at the LostVerse house by Scubarex. I thought this wine had excessive alcohol notes. Over oaked as well. I'm not a fan of Chardonnay and this exhibited almost everything I don't like about it. 83 points.
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12/25/2006 - jswanson wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful creamy citrus nose. A hint of oak and lemon with a long finish. A very nice bottle.
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10/21/2006 - cafeweston wrote: 94 Points
Classic California Chard. Lemon curd, vanilla, and toast, with a great balance to the overall wine.
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8/20/2006 - spacewrangler wrote: 93 Points
I've yet to taste a 98 pt Chard and I'm still waiting ;)
Complex, evolving nose of vanilla, butter, nectarine and marshmallow. Definitely a full-bodied Cali Chard, with oak and creamy flavors, some orangey-citrus tang. Finish is smooth and creamy.
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8/19/2006 - ihavezinned wrote: 94 Points
Gold in color. Thickly coats the glass and just lingers there, seemingly forever. Can't improve on the very accurate tasting note provided by Barstool below. Nice catch on the marshmallow! I also picked up some nectarine and honey on the nose. It's full, rich and creamy, beautifully balanced, with a dry, clean finish. A wonderful wine.
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8/18/2006 - KevinS wrote: 92 Points
Lemon curd, brioche and toasty oak on the palate, with a hint of cinnamon. Good acidity keeps it focused. Gaining nuance with age. Very tasty...
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7/4/2006 - silton wrote: 90 Points
My impressions are generally consistent with previous notes, although I'm not getting the tropical fruit vibe so much, the smokey toasty ripeness is there with some stone and flower undertones as is a lemon-butter finish. Very creamy and a little spicy. Yes, a California Chard with maloactic fermentation and contact with oak, but a far better than average version than most. I agree that it is not as great out of the fridge. 98 points is insanely high, but Tanzer's 87 might be a little harsh, too... although the oak influence is underlying matters, it isn't distracting, either... guess that's called "integrated" --?
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7/3/2006 - guile wrote: 93 Points
I'm a big red drinker but this was rated 98pts so I wanted to try it and see what the hype was about. Light golden color, nose of tropical fruits, pineapple, some citrus. The taste was incredibly creamy, good acidity to balance the sweetness but overall pretty dry. Not overpowered by oak as most California Chardonnay are prone to. There was pleasant toastiness/smokiness.
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6/27/2006 - mreinitz wrote:
I drink almost exclusively red wines. A friend recommended this, but I just don't get it. Vague flavors of lemon, butter, and pear. A fine summer quaff.
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5/21/2006 - TwoDogs wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed with pork chops breaded in sage and rosemary with applesauce and truffled potatoes. This wine seemed to evolve as it warmed up.
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5/18/2006 - KevinS wrote: 93 Points
With dinner of grilled chicken/mango/spinach salad. Just a lovely, highly malolactic chardonnay. Lemon curd, vanilla/buttery notes and a hint of that cinnamon(?) note I find in Varner B block. Very nice...
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5/14/2006 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
Chronicle:Cab.-Mer. like; rich vanilla and cassis fruit; delicious. Well-made med. big mth and t’s, hard leather; sticky mth. 98 pts Wine Enthousiast!! (give me a break!)
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5/3/2006 - KevinS wrote: 93 Points
Very tasty. Telltale CSJ notes of lemon curd. Complex and mature -- well done.
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5/27/2005 - 97mjr wrote:
[$45] See above
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