Tom S wrote:

> (I've tasted _great_ non-ML Chardonnay, but I'd be nervous about making one.
> It's not worth the headache.)

I've had a few really nice non-ML Chards, and it's clearly something
the winemaker really has to get dialed-in on through experience.

Flowers and El Molino are two examples that spring to mind of
delightful non-ML Cal Chards. I recently had an '02 El Molino
Chard from a 375ml, something Reg Oliver brought as a treat
to a gathering, and it was a sharp reminder that the
right fruit and right winemaker's touch can yield stellar
results. Getting reasonably ripe fruit with exactly the
right acid balance up-front and preserving that balance
throughout vinification seems to be the trick.

Another non-ML Cal Chard I think of is Scott Chafen's
Dutch Henry; it can be *really* pretty stuff in the right
year.

The more I think about it, it's sort of ironic how well
Cal Chard can lend itself to non-ML and yet how fixated
the wineries seem to be on buttery confections.

Dana