Chardonnay Wine Tasting Notes

1997 Geyser Peak Winery
Alexander Valley Chardonnay Reserve
Score: 89.0
"The subtlties defy description, but the overall impression is of smokey vanillin and intense pear, with a creamy texture and a fruity though hot finish."

1997 Alderbrook
Dorothys Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County Chardonnay
Score: 88.0
"From the deep straw color youd assume this is a big, viscous, oaky wine, but thats not true. This is a beautifully balanced, light bodied, silky Chardonnay, showing butter and caramel overtones to muted apple (rather like caramel covered apples), with crisp acidity and a bit of leesy spice in the finish. Seems a natural for turkey or pork."

1997 Castello Banfi
"Montalcino, Tuscany" [italy] Chardonnay
Score: 80.0
"Light varietal character, seems to be holding back."

1997 Wildhurst Vineyards
Sonoma County Chardonnay Private Reserve
Score: 92.0
"A lot of us dump on Chardonnay because the majority are dull and unbalanced. Then you come upon a Chardonnay like this and it makes a Chardonnay believer out of you. Light body, creamy texture, and amazingly intense throughout, it has aromas and flavors of baked pear, toasted hazelnuts, and sweet-sour apple. Might overpower delicate dishes. Id try it with typical red wine fare like beef Burginon. (SPELLING?????????)"

1998 Wildhurst Vineyards
Lake County Chardonnay
Score: 87.0
"Big but not ponderous, this is an unabashedly Californian wine, showing butterscotch, ripe red apples and a velvety texture."

1997 Erath Vineyards
Willamette Valley Chardonnay "Reserve, Barrel Fermented"
Score: 87.0
"An unusual style, barrel fermented and aged on the lees, but without going through the secondary malolactic fermentation . The result is a wine with crisp acidity and aromas and flavors that tend toward toast, nuts, a little earthy character and some floral notes, but with indefinably neutral fruit. The finish is floral and nutty. A great match for barbecued chicken."

1997 Brutocao
Bliss Vineyard Mendocino Chardonnay Estate Bottled
Score: 86.0
"Beautifully textured, crisp and lively, the '97 Brutacoa is restrained but well-proportioned, offering citrusy fruit and subtle oak shadings. "

1997 MacRostie
Carneros Chardonnay Reserve
Score: 93.0
"The first impression is that this isnt that different from the '97 Chardonnay, but on further inspection it has greater intensity of citrus, nuts and well integrated oak. It weaves a complex web of elements that seem to gather strength in the finish. "

1998 Beringer Founders Estate
California Chardonnay
Score: 85.0
"Buttery oak, toast, ripe tropical fruit, oily texture. Packs a wallop for the price."

1998 Clos du Bois
Sonoma County Chardonnay
Score: 88.0
"The strength of this wine is in its sensuous texture. It shows full apple aromas, muted fruit, mineral overtones, a hint of smoke and moderate vanilla, with a crisp, lingering mineral finish. A fine fish and shellfish wine- Serve with calamari."

1998 Chateau St. Jean
Sonoma County Chardonnay
Score: 88.0
"Id expect a wine of this quality to sell for about $18. Instead, its a bargain at $12, offering refined tropical fruit in the nose, pears on the palate, a firm structure and silky texture. "

1998 William Hill Winery
Napa Valley Chardonnay
Score: 90.0
Refined citrus and kiwi flavors with mineral undertones and just a touch of oak. Crisp and refreshing. Classy rendition that cries out for seafood.

1998 Indian Springs Vineyards
Nevada County Chardonnay
Score: 83.0
"Nicely textured, the nose is subdued, while on the palate the fruit is ripe and the oak a bit heavy. Serve well-chilled."

1999 Kim Crawford
Marlborough [New Zealand] Chardonnay unoaked
Score: 93.0
"Intensely fruity, this New Zealand Chardonnay will remind you of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with its fruit grapefruit and melon fruit, as well as its crisp acidity, but it has the weight and silky mouthfeel of Chardonnay. A very appealing style that can serve equally well as an aperitif or at the table."

1997 Farallon
Central Coast Chardonnay
Score: 87.0
"Opulent tropical fruit (especially pineapple) with lots of vanilla in the nose , round, dry and intensely fruity with an oily texture on the palate, and a warm finish. Delivers a lot of flavor at a bargain price. This is the more intense, more 'Californian' style of wine in the Farallon duo."

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