Chateau St. Jean Reserve Chardonnay, Sonoma County, USA

圣·讓酒莊珍藏霞多麗白葡萄酒

點擊次數(shù)：4331

The 2009 Chardonnay Reserve is a selection of the estate’s best barrels. Apricots, peaches, flowers, mint, tangerine and honey are all woven together in this plush, textured Chardonnay. A round, creamy finish supported by French oak imparts a feeling of seamlessness and harmony. The Reserve spends 16-17 months in French oak, the longest barrel aging of any of the St. Jean Chardonnays. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2019. This is a fabulous set of wines from Chateau St. Jean, winemaker Margo Van Staaveren and her team. From top to bottom, these wines deliver tons of value and character.Tel. (707) 833-4134, www.chateaustjean.com

The most expensive effort, a selection of the estate’s finest barrels, is the 2007 Chardonnay Reserve. This wine appears to be more monolithic, but it may just need another 6-12 months of bottle age. It is unquestionably an outstanding Chardonnay offering up notes of tropical fruits, spicy, smoky oak, earth, citrus oil, and poached pear. Medium to full-bodied as well as structured, it should drink well for 2-4 years. This winery produces some exceptional bargain-priced wines and consistently does an enviable job with Sauvignon Blanc, or as they call it, Fume Blanc. There has been a long legacy of top-notch Fume Blancs produced ever since veteran winemaker Richard Arrowood was fashioning the wines at Chateau St.-Jean in the 1970s. Chateau St. Jean produces four distinctive styles of Chardonnay. My favorites tend to vary with the vintage, and in 2007, the Belle Terre Vineyard came out on top.Tel. (707) 833-4134; Fax (707) 833-4200

The vintage was a good one for the winery’s Chardonnays. This Reserve got ripe in pineapples, nectarines, tangerines and guavas, which the winemaker has elaborated with smoky, spicy oak. A crisp spine of acidity provides a counter-balance of brightness to all that richness. Don’t drink this creamy Chard too cold.——S.H.(12/15/2009)—— 92