1994 Stony Hill Chardonnay

Community Tasting Notes (17) Avg Score: 90.5 points

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  11/28/2021 - KenK Likes this wine: 93 Points

  From a perfectly stored magnum this was fantastic. Rich and oily with a powerful dried apple essence. Just enough acid to keep it balanced. Much better than expected. The texture is so wonderful although clearly the fruity elements are more nuanced. No real sign of oxidation with perfect cork.

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  10/9/2021 - JRockEsq wrote: flawed

  I can't place my finger on the flaw, but there was something wrong with this bottle.
  
  Method: pop and pour (and checked in again 2 hours later and next day); 53 degrees; Grassl Cru
  
  Look: medium+ gold
  
  Nose: fish/seafood counter; somewhere between seawater and pool water; light orchard fruit; very muted
  
  Palate: lemon, nuts, tree bark; long finish of dried bay leaf, mineral; not very expressive; an odd overall off taste, but not actually offensive to me (though other's disagreed); dry; medium body; medium sour acid
  
  I'd give this 75 points.
  
  Overall thoughts: I haven't encountered a bottle like this yet. It didn't seem too old -- the color was quite good for such an old Chardonnay, and it didn't taste like vinegar or tired/dead. The nose was very surprising and decently off putting, although very muted. The palate wasn't really that offensive to me, but it was muted and just off -- offering no redeeming quality whatsoever. I was excited to try my first Stony Hill, but I guess I still need to try one.

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  8/4/2019 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:

  Great showing! The nose is fresh and airy with notes of orange oil, toffee, herbs, and stone. It's really a lovely nose that shows maturity and definition, and it's entirely alluring and suave. The palate is fresh and vibrant too and the acidity remains focused, although the fruit has softened and there are toffee notes. This is a truly good wine, as fine an example of 25 year old American chardonnay as I've ever had.

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  5/4/2017 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 90 Points

  Was not expecting this to show as well as it did. Was on its last leg and showed a touch of oxidation, but drank great, nice acidity, a touch of roasted nuts with lemon and apple. Tasted from magnum.

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  12/24/2014 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Had at 1994 shootout at jdunlap's house. The only white of the night, served blind. Bottle was very well stored. Poured into decanter. Appeared very oxidized, medium-dark gold sherry coloring. Nose was fresh with just a little fruit left. High acidity. Very little wood, if any. I guessed old chablis. This 20 year old was way better than the other two Stony Hill chard youngsters I have had over the past couple of years. These wines age amazingly well. Very impressed.

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View all 17 Community Tasting Notes

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