The Terres Dorees 2008 Beaujolais Blanc Chardonnay smells of lime, oregano, diverse flowers, white peach, and an apparent amalgam of chalk dust and sea breeze. With a formidable sense of underlying density and mysterious minerality, allied to luscious, vivacious peach and lime fruit, it displays a fine sense of richness while remaining, at 12% alcohol, quite light and finishes with irresistible juiciness and savor, reminiscent of Chenin Blanc or Riesling in its shimmering interchange of fruit and mineral. One can relish it anytime over the next several years, although it would be a shame to miss out on its youthful state.

Wine Advocate Rating: 91

[Issue: #184 / Aug 09]

Fresh and vibrant, with a full-bodied mix of tangerine, nectarine, peach and pear flavors that are intense, complex, layered and cleansing. This holds on to its core fruitiness. Drink now through 2013.

Wine Spectator Rating: 90

[Issue: June 30/10]

Intense, with pear and quince notes that are ripe but racy, offset by a mouthwatering hint of lime and honeysuckle. The finish is long and juicy. Very tasty. Drink now through 2010. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,500 cases made.

Wine Spectator Rating: 90

[Issue: Web only 2009]

The toasty, satin-smooth pineapple flavors in this chardonnay are clean, simple and rich. It's the sort of wine that will appeal to most anyone, especially with roast salmon for a decadent match.

Wine & Spirits Rating: 90

[Issue: 10/01/09]

Bright gold. Exotic, expansive bouquet of lemon, quince and ginger, along with a suave dusting of minerals. Tightly wound and spicy, with sharply focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors joined by riper melon and pear on the finish. Boasts an impression combination of depth and clarity, and possesses the balance to age.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 91

[Issue: March 08]

A lovely Chardonnay, delicate and minerally, with luscious flavors of flowers, citrus fruits, Asian pears, vanilla and spice. Complex and easy to like.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 90

[Issue: 12/01/09]

Green-gold. Highly expressive aromas of ripe peach and melon complemented by yellow rose and musky herbs. Fleshy pit fruit flavors are firmed by salty minerality, which adds grip to the long, spicy finish. This clean, racy wine has the balance to repay a few years of aging.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 91

[Issue: March 2008]

Light yellow. Spicy lime, Anjou pear and white flowers on the nose, with a suave mineral underpinning. Juicy orchard fruit flavors are given a pleasant bitterness by anise and lime pith, gaining in firmness with air. Brisk, finely etched citrus flavors define the finish, which leaves a strong note of minerals behind.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 92

[Issue: March 08]

Light yellow. Honeyed pear and tangerine on the nose, with licorice, iodine and dried flowers emerging with air. Juicy orchard fruit flavors are firmed by dusty minerals, which extend through the long, juicy finish. Guffens told me that these vines are about 80 years old.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 91

[Issue: March 08]

Pale gold. Sharply focused lemon and lime aromas gain depth with air, slowly taking a turn to peach and melon. Deeply concentrated citrus and orchard fruit flavors pack a serious punch, gaining sweetness on the close while maintaining focus. A weighty, powerful style, but in no way heavy or musclebound.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 92

[Issue: March 08]

Bright and focused, this elegant wine offers layers of peach, pear and citrus flavors on a sleek, racy frame. Very pretty. Drink now through 2011.

Wine Spectator Rating: 90

[Issue: Dec 31/09]

Green apple, floral, lime and citrus blossom scents give this full-bodied Chardonnay a distinctive edge. Crisp and flinty, ending with wet stone. Drink now through 2012.

Wine Spectator Rating: 92

[Issue: June 15/09]

It spent 9 months in 70% French oak and 30% in stainless steel before bottling without filtration. The nose reveals a touch of oak, mineral, poached pear, white peach, and a hint of tropical aromas. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, it is a harmonious effort with good integration of the oak and acid. Spice notes and round, savory flavors coat the palate leading to a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. At the asking price, it is a super-value in Chardonnay for drinking over the next 5 years.

Wine Advocate Rating: 92

[Issue: #184 / Aug 09]

Light gold. Powerfully scented bouquet of lemon, orange, iodine and floral honey, with a suave spicy undertone. The citrus flavors repeat on the palate, along with gingerbread and tangy mineral qualities. Very fresh and precise, with excellent finishing lift and lingering minerality. This got about 38% new oak but I'm not seeing, or feeling it.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 91

[Issue: May/June 09]

The most elegant of this St. Véran group, delivering an aromatic profile of fresh, bright and quite pure nose of white peach, citrus and acacia blossom notes that complement perfectly the rich, full and detailed flavors brimming with dry extract and culminating in a beautifully intense and long finish. Terrific quality.

Burghound Rating: (90-92)

[Issue: #32 / Oct 08]

Complex and layered, offering a full-bodied mix of toasty vanilla oak, ripe pear and fig, with touches of floral and spice. Ends with a complex finish. Drink now through 2012.

Wine Spectator Rating: 91

[Issue: Feb 28/10]

Revealing a more evolved, light to medium gold color, the 2007 Chardonnay Estate offers zesty, caramelized orange rind notes intermixed with lemon grass and a steely minerality. Medium to full-bodied and tightly knit, it looks set for at least 5-6 years of life.

Wine Advocate Rating: 91

[Issue: #184 / Aug 09]

An expressive and relatively high-toned nose of primarily floral elements is nuanced by notes of oyster shell and tidal pool, both of which continue over to the rich and round yet precise and quite dry medium-bodied flavors, all wrapped in a delicious and sappy finish that delivers solid if not exceptional persistence.

Burghound Rating: (88-91)

[Issue: #36 / Oct 09]

The Chardonnay has arguably been one of the 3-4 best produced in Argentina for a number of years and the 2007 Chardonnay is no exception. It was 100% barrel-fermented, went through full malolactic fermentation, and was aged for 12 months in 50% new French oak on its lees. Light gold-colored, it has an outstanding bouquet of spiced apple and poached pear, with tropical fruits in the background. Medium to full-bodied, mineral and oak notes emerge on the palate accompanied by lively acidity, layered flavors, and excellent balance. Drink this classy Chardonnay over the next 3-4 years. Luca is the personal project of Laura Catena, M.D., daughter of Nicolas Catena, the founder of Catena-Zapata.

Wine Advocate Rating: 92

[Issue: #180 / Dec 08]

Smooth, rich and creamy, with ripe pear, hazelnut, toasty oak and a hint of mineral and bubble gum, gaining complexity and length and ending with a delicate note.

Wine Spectator Rating: 90

[Issue: June 30/09]

This bottling by veteran Foxen offers one of the starkest, most appealing choices available in California Chardonnay. Far from a superripe buttery monster, it’s a lean, elegant machine. With vibrant acidity and a mineral undergirding, it offers rich flavors of citrus fruits and rind and yeasty, Champagne-like lees.

Wine Enthusiast Rating: 94

[Issue: 12/31/08]

Polished and round, with a spicy edge to the pear and cream flavors, lingering on the well-buffed finish. Drink now through 2013. 350 cases made.

Wine Spectator Rating: 92

[Issue: Web only 2010]

The 2007 Chardonnay looks superb, with terrific tropical fruit such as pineapple intermixed with some poached pear, brioche notes, and citrus oils. The wine has beautiful intensity, full-bodied power, and zesty acidity, no doubt from the lack of any malolactic fermentation.

Wine Advocate Rating: 93

[Issue: #180 / Dec 08]

This is aromatically quite similar to the Les Combes though the medium-bodied flavors possess more concentrated and richer flavors that are big and broad-shouldered while managing to maintain a finely focused, dry and clean finish that is impressively persistent.

Burghound Rating: (90-92)

[Issue: #32 / Oct 08]

Rich, layered and full-bodied, with a mix of toasty oak, ripe fig, anise and honeysuckle, holding its tight focus and ending with a long, persistent finish. Drink now through 2015.

Wine Spectator Rating: 91

[Issue: June 15/10]

A very ripe style, with lots of dried apple, toffee and toasty oak, yet fresh and rich on the palate. So much going on here. Like grand cru Burgundy. Drink now. 4,300 cases made.

Wine Spectator Rating: 93

[Issue: March 31/10]

A hint of wood frames strong lactic aromas that again render the nose difficult to fairly evaluate though the intense and citrus-infused flavors are mouth coating and textured as there is ample dry extract that completely buffers the underlying acidity on the powerful and detailed finish. This is a big but not inelegant wine that is still sorting itself out at present.

Burghound Rating: (88-91)

[Issue: #28 / Oct 2007]

More tropical fruit, marmalade, nectarine, and orange blossom characteristics are found in the concentrated 2008 Chardonnay Keefer Ranch. Even better than its 2007 counterpart, it is a very long wine with zesty acidity as well as freshness that should provide pleasure over the next 4-6 years.

Wine Advocate Rating: 93

[Issue: #187 / Feb 10]

One of California’s most successful stainless steel fermented and aged Chardonnays is Melville’s Clone 76 Inox. The medium to full-bodied 2008 Chardonnay Clone 76 Inox exhibits crisp acids along with lemon, peach blossom, and honeyed citrus notes. A delicious, naked expression of Chardonnay, it should drink nicely for 3-4 years.

Wine Advocate Rating: 90

[Issue: #184 / Aug 09]

A green fruit nose liberally laced with notes of iodine, sea breeze and a distinct saline character slides gracefully into precise, taut and racy middle weight flavors that are also underpinned by firm acidity and ample minerality on the beautifully lingering finish. This is impressive and worth a look.

Burghound Rating: (90-92)

[Issue: #36 / Oct 09]

Green-gold. Powerful aromas of orchard fruits, orange, sweet butter, lily of the valley and smoky lees, plus a strong undercurrent of iodine; smells like a serious, old-school Chassagne-Montrachet. Round and fleshy, with deep, smoky pear, sweet citrus and licorice flavors and slow-building spiciness. The smoky and floral qualities resonate on the finish, which is impressively incisive and long.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 93

[Issue: May/June 09]

Vivid yellow-gold. Pungent aromas of orange, marzipan and sweet butter. Musky, gently sweet and fresh in the mouth, with citrus and orchard fruit and crushed stone flavors joined by a suggestion of toasted nuts. There's a suave buttery character to this deep, open-knit wine, but tangy minerality on the finish gives it energy and lift. Seems more powerful and more approachable than the nervier 2007 version.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 93

[Issue: Nov/Dec 09]

Light straw-colored with a greenish hue, the 2007 Chardonnay exhibits a pretty bouquet of nectarines, orange blossoms, and honeyed citrus, clean, crisp, refreshing flavors, medium to full body, little evidence of wood, and a pure, authoritative finish. Consume it over the next 2-3 years.

Wine Advocate Rating: 90

[Issue: #180 / Dec 08]

Hazy yellow. Deeply pitched scents of sweet butter, poached pear, peach pit, tarragon and iodine. Chewy in texture and packing serious punch, with sweet orchard and pit fruit flavors and a suave undercurrent of smoky lees and minerals. Surprisingly lively on the finish, which leaves tangy mineral and lime pith notes in its wake. Very complex, fresh chardonnay.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 94

[Issue: May/June 09]

Under the L’Angevin label, the 2007 Chardonnay Russian River possesses abundant amounts of opulent pear, pineapple, and other assorted tropical fruits intermixed with a notion of wood spice as well as an attractive, fleshy, medium to full-bodied personality with nice texture and length. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.

Wine Advocate Rating: 90

[Issue: #187 / Feb 10]

The 2007 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce is sensational. Named after Stephen Hansel’s recently deceased 90-year-old mother, the wine has admirable minerality, plenty of honeysuckle, hints of pear, white peach, and pineapple, a deep, full-bodied mouthfeel with subtle smokiness from oak, very good acidity, and a long, concentrated finish. This is likely to be the longest-lived of the Chardonnays and capable of lasting for up to 7-10 years.

Wine Advocate Rating: 94+

[Issue: #180 / Dec 08]

Formans Chardonnays, which have always been non-malolactic and crisp, with very little new oak (around 20% new), continue to represent a grand cru Chablis-like style from Napa. The 2006 reveals the classic lemon blossom, apple rind, nectarine, and striking minerality that is followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy wine that shows terrific fruit, purity, and depth. A stony style of Chardonnay, it should age well for 4-5 years.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 90

[Issue: May / June 08]

Intense, concentrated and full-bodied flavors of floral honeysuckle, pear and fig are shaded by cedary oak, returning to the primary flavors on the long, bubble gum-scented finish. Drink now through 2011.

Wine Spectator Rating: 93

[Issue: Dec 31/08]

Bright yellow-gold. Initially reticent, mineral-driven nose hints at green apple, quince, white flowers and iodine. Juicy and tight, with bright acidity and a distinctly saline, iodiney character to its citrus and orchard fruit flavors. Becomes smokier on the back half and finishes with very good clarity and lingering spiciness.

Int'l Wine Cellar Rating: 91

[Issue: May/June 10]

Shows rich tropical fruit, with layers of tangerine, nectarine, fig and honey that are supple, full-bodied, smooth and elegant, ending with a complex mix of fruit and light toasty oak.

Wine Spectator Rating: 93

[Issue: Web Only 2008]

Discreet wood frames strongly reduced aromas but the crisp, clean and beautifully delineated flavors are gorgeously intense and strikingly persistent, underpinned by a firm but not aggressive core of acidity and plenty of minerality. This is almost painfully intense and at this early stage, very primary. Patience required. Drink 2010+. Recommended.

Burghound Rating: (89-92)

[Issue: #28 / Oct 07]

Smooth and rich, with creamy fig, melon, apple and spice flavors that are full-bodied and layered, ending with a mix of anise and toasty, buttery oak. Drink now through 2015.

Wine Specatator Rating: 91

[Issue: March 31/10]

The exotic, flamboyant 2007 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard possesses copious aromas of nectarines, caramelized orange, apricot marmalade, and creme brulee. Good acidity buttresses the wine-s full-bodied style with impressive power as well as richness.

Wine Spectator Rating: 93

[Issue: #187 / Feb 10]

The 2006 Chardonnay offers smoky, toasty, tropical notes with a hint of baked apple in the background. Creamy-textured, ripe, and well-balanced, it has succulent flavors and a long, pure finish. Drink it over the next 4 years.

Wine Advocate Rating: 91

[Issue: #177 / June 08]

There's wonderful perfumed, floral aromas of honeysuckle, lavender, ripe pear and apple in this pure, rich and silky white, which unfolds to reveal layers of fruit and light spicy, toasty oak nuances. Ends with a long, persistent finish that's engagingly complex. Drink now through 2016. 2,000 cases made.

Wine Spectator Rating: 95

[Issue: Feb 28/10]

Sleek and focused, with a grainy edge to the citrus, pear, apple and spice notes that are intense, vibrant, tight and focused. Slow to unfold, but a good cellar choice. Drink now through 2016.

Wine Spectator Rating: 90

[Issue: June 15/10]

Delicate white peach, apricot, and lemon blossom characteristics emerge from this green/light gold-colored Chardonnay. Medium to full-bodied with zesty acidity as well as a subtle touch of oak, this refreshing, crisp white should drink well for 3-4 years.

Wine Advocate Rating: 90

[Issue: #186 / Dec 09]

The 2007 Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard reveals more earth, crushed rock, and tropical fruit (pineapple, orange marmalade, and peach) notes as well as admirable depth, medium to full body, well-integrated smoky oak, and a long finish.

Wine Advocate Rating: (92-93)

[Issue: #180 / Dec 08]

A subtle background note of wood highlights transparent aromas of white flower and citrus that merge into rich, full, muscular and notably powerful flavors that possess excellent concentration on the textured and intensely mineral-infused finish. This has a lovely sense of balance and the only nit is a hint of backend warmth.

Burghound Rating: (90-92)

[Issue: #32 / Oct 08]

Complex, rich and full-bodied, with layers of ripe fig, melon, honeysuckle, and spice, unfolding gracefully, gaining depth and nuance and finishing with a cleansing aftertaste. Drink now through 2014. 450 cases made.

Wine Advocate Rating: 93

[Issue: June 30/10]

The 2007 Chardonnay Ma Belle Fille ratchets up the level of performance. The good news is that there are just under 2,800 cases of this wine in the 2007 vintage. Super-ripe peach, nectarine, orange blossom, white currant, and stony mineral notes jump from the glass of this wine. It has full-bodied texture, superb purity, and tremendous depth and richness. All of these Chardonnays are aged in a combination of 33-80% new oak depending on the cuvee, and of course, are largely fermented with indigenous yeasts, kept on their lees, and bottled without any fining or filtration.

Wine Advocate Rating: 96

[Issue: #180 / Dec 08]

The 2007 Chardonnay possesses abundant aromas of white peaches, citrus blossoms, crushed rocks (think liquid minerality), and honeyed tropical fruit presented in a full-bodied wine with good acidity, depth, and length. It should drink well for a decade.

Wine Advocate Rating: 95

[Issue: #186 / Dec 09]

Bold, rich and expressive, layered and complex, offering tiers of ripe citrus and lemon peel, pear and melon, with touches of hazelnut and spice. Ends with a rich, smoky butterscotch flavor that gives this added dimension. Drink now through 2015. 1,303 cases made.

Wine Spectator Rating: 96

[Issue: June 30/10]

A special selection of the top barrels (125-150 cases produced), the 2007 Chardonnay The Judge is more backward than the regular Chardonnay, revealing a liqueur of rocks-like character intermixed with hints of almond paste, tropical fruits, quince, and mango. Its incredible length, richness, and depth suggest this wine will benefit from 1-2 years of bottle age, and should keep for over a decade. From a top vintage for proprietor/winemaker John Kongsgaard, the 2007 Chardonnays are among the finest he has made to date. They combine great richness and bold flavor profiles with extraordinary minerality and definition.

Wine Advocate Rating: 98+

[Issue: #186 / Dec 09]