California Chardonnay Can Age Beautifully

WINE TALK
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Lots of good suggestions in this thread. I’d add Au Bon Climat and Arcadian as producers whose chardonnays are built to age. They are too young to have the track record, but Kutch chardonnays would seem likely to age well.

I will say, though, that disappointing results (including premox) are sometimes present in good California chardonnays – we are not immune to it here, including from producers listed in this thread. So you do have to learn about producers, vintages and bottlings, plus be willing to accept some risk in the program of aging California chardonnay.

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  • Montelena Chard.

Far Niente Chard does surprising well since there is no malo.

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  • Forman and Ridge Chardonnay, to add to the suggestions above.

Ed

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I like Stony Hill Chardonnay, but for me I would rather have them at about 10 years old or so. The older ones I have had get too truffley for me and don’t show enough fruit or structure. Agree that it is a fabulous winery.

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Threads like these always bring me back to this wine…

  • 1968 Heitz Cellar Chardonnay Pinot Chardonnay LOT Z-82 - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/24/2016)
    Acquired from Barney Rhodes(planted Martha’s Vineyard, owner Bella Oaks V) cellar……maybe Hanzell fruit?..…decided to go with a PnP…and this was SPECTACULAR all night! UN believable how youthful this wine was……as soon as I smelled the cork, I knew we were in for a treat! Montrachet meets Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc……brilliant gold, green color…RICH buttered pears/apples, grilled pineapple….fresh and alive with lemon curd, crushed minerals….perfect oak integration……complexities of lantern oil, antique wax, hot buttered rum spice, cold green tea. NO WAY this is 48yrs old! Amazing freshness, sweetness…yet perfect balance of salinity and unique aged complexities……and it didn’t waver all night! Thought it might die out…but it kept on going….just an amazing experience! (99 pts.)

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One thing about many California chardonnays made in the 60s and 70s: they had enough SO2 in them to kill a horse.

1 Like
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Totally agree. Older Marcassin’s can be awesome. Too bad we can’t seem to get the most recent releases (or non-releases as the case may be).

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Drink enough and you’ll be peeing match sticks.

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Wow, Brian! That’s a rare treat!

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Wes, combined with kidney stones the process is quite entertaining…

31

+1 for Mount Eden. +2 for their reserve Chard.

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I have to throw in another good one…Hanzell. [wink.gif]

Colin