I should add that on the Chalone AVA front, Bill Brosseau is doing excellent work with both Pinot and Chardonnay.
The new owners of Chalone are trying to revive things but sometimes you get forgotten by the marketplace.
The Mondavi Pinot and Chard remind me of Drouhin wines sometimes in that young they are fine but nothing special. With age they can really blossom.
Chalone has found its a way again. I tasted there last year and they clearly have regained their focus and the wines were delicious.
I certainly love Mount Eden Estate Chardonnay never had a dead one just corked ones. Not so much love to the domain or etna variations though. Ian Brand kills all of those with his Le Petit Paysan Jack’s Chardonnay. Haven’t found anything from Cali that competes with that at $20 price point.
FYI: A 1st, we have been seeing Mt Eden Estate Chardonnay at Costco’s around here (NorCal) for under $50.
I don t know if any of you are familiar with an English wine writer named Robert Joseph. He used to be more active twenty years ago.He helped start a British publication, Wine.
He arranged a series of blind tastings of the same chardonnays in four different venues…was it Burgundy, New York, London and Sydney?? His goal was to show how different groups vote differently, as I recall.
The winner in Burgundy was Mondavi.
I think the TN that AndyK posted upthread in May of 2020 nails the flavors and aromas I got, including the richness. I would probably go (if scoring) with a low 90s score. Very good, not mind-bending. I would imagine there is some bottle variation too, with some others showing more youthfully. I bought this from Full Pull and have one more left, which I’ll open soon.
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2011 Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains - USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (5/6/2023)
Not decanted, used Gabriel Glas machine-made stems. The first glass was served at passive cellar temp (roughly 55 F). The color was quite yellow and what I'd expect from a 12-year-old Cali Chard. Like in Buckeye's TN earlier, this was full of fruit and richness. It is showing its age to be sure, but it's not oxidized or going downhill. Yet. I don't get the acidic support needed to go a lot longer. This has tons of fruit still, but I think I'd drink these within the next 3 years. I'd expect better vintages to age longer than this one ultimately will.
Posted from CellarTracker
