Tasting Notes

Release Date: Spring 1996

1994 has begun to shape up as a superb year for all of our estate wines. Low rainfall, a small crop, and classic September weather gave us all the precursors for greatness, yet in the world of artisan winemaking, one never knows exactly how great.

The Estate Chardonnay is aged nine to ten months in the barrel and during that time each individual barrel develops its own unique character. Consequently, it is only at bottling, when all of the barrels are married, that one finally gets a full snapshot of the completed wine. At that point it is up to the "drame of the bottle" to slowly manifest the true quality of the vintage.

My tasting notes: typical nose of pears, lemon and hazelnut.  Moderate in weight yet expansive in flavor with an intriguing mineral note in the finish. Expect improvement for one to three years and  a drinking plateau for many years thereafter.

Reminiscent of the hallmark 1984.

Production

1,386

Tech Notes

Sorry, technical notes not available for this vintage.

Reviews

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

Highly nuanced nose combines pineapple, peach, minerals and toasty, spicy oak. Thick with extract and extremely dense, but bright and sharply delineated. Hints of licorice and fresh herbs add to the wine complexity. Very long on the palate. This should develop very slowly in bottle and last well.

92 points Robert Parker Jr's The Wine Advocate - October 1996

Issue #107

To no one’s surprise, the 1994 Chardonnay Estate is a rich, blockbuster Chardonnay beautifully buttressed by crisp acidity and an inner-core of high extract. The wine has an unmistakable Burgundian creaminess, smokiness, and earthy, hazelnut richness. Rich and expansive, this wine develops beautifully in the glass, displaying more nuances and complexity after 10-15 minutes of airing. Bold, rich, and impressive, it should drink well for 7-8 years.

92 points Wine Spectator - February 1997

Bold, ripe and intense, loaded with rich pear and hazelnut flavors, and well oaked, with smoky, toasty flavors. Delicious now, but still big and unevolved at this stage. Sure to age well.