1998 Hogue
Columbia Valley [Washington] Chardonnay
Score: 84.0
"Light green apple, dry, clean and refreshing. "
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1999 Fetzer Vineyards Sundial
California Chardonnay
Score: 86.0
"Rich apple, pineapple and vanilla flavors, full-bodied and lightly spicy in the finish. Serve with roasted chicken."
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1998 Clos du Val Single Vineyard
Carneros Chardonnay
Score: 86.0
"Citrus and vanilla are combined into a seamless whole from the nose through the finish. Add some mineral notes and a whisp of smoke on the mid-palate and there you have it. Deceptively simple, beautifully structured."
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1997 Chateau St. Jean
Alexander Valley Robert Young Vineyard Chardonnay
Score: 87.0
"Pear, vanilla and smoke are melded into a dry, slightly astringent Chardonnay well-suited to accompany white sauces. "
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1997 Chateau Potelle
Central Coast Chardonnay
Score: 88.0
"Napa Valleys Chateau Potelle has taken a step forward with their first Central Coast Chardonnay. Beautifully round and aromatic, it has a lush nose of tropical fruit (pineapple and guava), while on the palate its lean and crisp with citrus rind and mineral notes. My only complaint is a touch of bitterness in the finish. Good value."
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1999 Carramar
New South Wales Australia Chardonnay
Score: 87.0
"Full-flavored but not heavy, this bargain priced Chardonnay easily keeps pace with wines twice the price. Peach and vanilla flavors, silky texture with a pleasant acid edge, it will appeal to both novice and connoisseur alike. Bridges the gulf between aperitif and food wine, pairing with poultry, fish or alfredo sauced pasta."
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1998 Buena Vista
Carneros Chardonnay
Score: 94.0
This may be Buena Vistas finest Chardonnay in a decade. Its a dry wine with a pineapple nose and a spicy-mineral character coupled with tropical and citrus fruit on the silky palate. It maintains a high level of intensity from the nose through the long complex finish. Altogether a remarkable wine and an astounding value. Pair with poultry or delicate fish like sole.
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1998 Beaulieu Vineyard
Carneros Chardonnay Reserve
Score: 89.0
"Think poached Bosc pear with a hint of butterscotch, and some mineral-spice notes on the finish. A full-bodied wine with creamy texture, its a big California-style Chardonnay with ripe fruit and a lot of power. "
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1997 Balbi Vineyard
Mendoza [argentina] Chardonnay-Semillon
Score: 84.0
"A blend of 56% Chardonnay and 44% Semillon, this is an interesting wine with dominant lime and kiwi tones, crisp acidity and silky texture. A good wine for poultry or seafood at a bargain price."
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1998 Hogue Barrel Select
Columbia Valley Washington Chardonnay
Score: 90.0
"This is a deceptive wine: its so smooth and elegant that you could be fooled into believing its one-dimensional. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Under the apple and vanilla are complex mineral and clove notes that give it great length. Fine value. Outstanding quality!"
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1988 Napa Ridge
North Coast Chardonnay
Score: 88.0
"Its funny-a lot of very expensive Chardonnays layer on the techniques to come up with a complex wine, only to produce a wine that is totally out of balance. This inexpensive Chardonnay also uses a lot of the bells and whistles (barrel fermentation, malolactic, sur lie aging, French and American Oak) but the result is a well balanced Chardonnay that displays bold varietal and oak flavors (vanilla, ripe apples) coupled with a velvety texture. Its an excellent value. "
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1998 Coastal Cellars
Mendoza [argentina] Chardonnay
Score: 83.0
"There is an aggressive note in the nose, but on the palate its rich with tropical fruit and warm in the finish. A bit disjointed, but flavorful, and a good value."
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1998 Callaway
Temecula Chardonnay
Score: 88.0
"Unlike previous 'Calla-Lees' Chardonnays from Callaway, which saw no oak, the '98 has a restrained oak presence. Still fruit forward, the new Callaway Chardonnay displays bright green apple fruit with just a touch of smokey oak. Particularly good with seafood and light Asian-fusion cuisine. Needless to say, at $10 its a good value."
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1998 Geyser Peak
Sonoma County Chardonnay
Score: 88.0
A first rate Chardonnay that displays a ripe pippin apple character with a hint of caramel and a crisp lemony finish.
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1998 Geyser Peak
Russian River Valley Chardonnay "Silky and at the same time more intense than the Sonoma County verison, the Russian River Valley is like a ripe pear drizzled with a vanilla-egg yolk sauce. "
Score: 89.0
A first rate Chardonnay that displays a ripe pippin apple character with a hint of caramel and a crisp lemony finish.
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