Xyzsch wrote:

>
> >1999 Chardonnay Reserve:
> >What is this? A New World Chardonnay less oaky in its reserve
> >bottling? Go figger! Stone
> >fruit, pineapple and stones in the nose; a
> >slightly creamy entry, pineapple in the mid-palate and a clean, slightly
> >buttery finish. Much more interesting.
>
> Is it less oaky, or does the reserve have more stuffing to balance out the oak?
> Just curious.

AFAIC, it was less oaky in the absolute sense. There was no toastiness at all in
the nose, and very little sense of oak on the palate. There was a roundedness
that I'd attribute to oak aging, but if so it seems like they used neutral oak
barrels.

>
>
> Thanks for the notes. I'll have to make a trip out there.

And well you should, Tom. If I'd had more time, I'd spend 2-3 days visiting many
more places. If I were alone, I'd go to Archery Summit and Dom. Drouhin.
However, you might want to time your visit to get to taste those highly
anticipated 2002 Pinot Noirs...

Mark Lipton