Pahlmeyer 2007 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

WA 95pts. - CG 95pts. - WS 93pts. - According to the Wine Advocate: For starters, the 2007 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast may be one of Pahlmeyer’s finest Chardonnays to date (it’s coming right on the heels of their two brilliant 2006 Chardonnays). Most of the fruit comes from the Ritchie Vineyard, a site from which Mark Aubert also produces incredible wines. This 1,600-case cuvee is fashioned from the old Wente and Mt. Eden clones. Like the finest California Chardonnays, it reveals a light greenish hue to its straw color in addition to a beautiful perfume of nectarines, brioche, subtle smoke, crushed rocks, and gobs of white peach and pineapple fruit. This full-bodied beauty should drink easily for 5-6 years.According to the Connoisseurs' Guide: If at its heart showing the firm structure and tight lines of cool-district Chardonnay, this intense and very expressive bottling is piled high with rich oak and lees, and its underlying themes of ripe apple and lemons are overlain by those of roasted nuts and sweet cream. Very full-bodied but surprisingly well-balanced and almost tense by way of its well-placed acids, it impresses now for its seriousness and distinct sense of volume but promises to grow better for several years. No shrinking violet, this one comes with a sense of sophistication. According to the Wine Spectator: Rich, intense and well-structured, with ripe pear, apple, melon and a dash of citrus, giving this full-bodied wine a long, complex, mouthcoating finish. Drink now through 2012. 1,620 cases made.... Rated 90+