Tasting Notes

Release Date: Spring 1997

In 1995 a little rain in the spring reduced our already minuscule Chardonnay crop by 40%. A cool summer ensued, ripening the grapes fully by October and yielding beautiful grapes packed full of precious acidity.

Very youthful and energetic, the intriguing lemon, apple, hazelnut, and anise flavors are persistent as they are intense. Fermented and aged in new barrels from Burgundy, this wine was aged on the yeast sediment for 10 months. A light filtration was performed before bottling. Expect development in the bottle for another two to four years and a long plateau of fine drinking thereafter.

 

Production

1,175

Tech Notes

Sorry, technical notes not available for this vintage.

Reviews

92(+?) points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar - July/August 1998

Musky, highly nuanced aromas of spices and orange zest. Dense and sweet initially, with the strong underlying acidity becoming apparent with aeration. Powerfully structured, very concentrated and very young, with superb richness. 

91 points Wine Spectator - September 1997

Marked by snappy acidity, the earthy mineral and light oak shadings add dimension to the pear and melon notes. Finishes with complexity and fine length.