I set up a small blind tasting to start off NYE. The wines with my sparse notes:
2006 Girardin Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes
Clean lemon pebbles, oak (93?)
2007 Aubert Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Lauren Vineyard
Richest of these wines, with more vanilla creme alongside a complex lemon drop core, sweet water and wood. One glass survived the night in an uncorked bottle. (94)
2007 Peay Estate Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Rainwater with lemon and lime, a bit dirtier, still very deep and delicious but closed in comparison (91). Most of this bottle survived the night, and a quick taste today is very promising. 92+?
2007 Rhys Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay, Alpine Vineyard
The most forward nose and longest finish of the flight, with flavors of orange marmalade and hazelnut along with stones, citrus and oak. The last half a glass that I’m having here in 2010 is drinking great, with lip-smacking minerality and long white fruit flavors (95)
These were 4 outstanding wines, what a fun flight. The 2007 Rhys Alpine won the night overall, and all 4 tasters, myself included, picked it out as the white Burg. I had even snuck in a taste of the Girardin when I decanted it for an hour in the afternoon! (The other wines were uncorked about 2 hours before serving, and all were served at about cellar temperature.) Those 2 wines were quite similar and I preferred what turned out to be the Rhys, but I also loved the Aubert for what it was. As Maria said, “I think [the Rhys} is the better wine, but I like to drink [the Aubert] more.” All 4 tasters correctly picked out the Aubert. All 4 tasters ranked the Peay last in this flight.
In any case, I think it is fair to describe the Rhys as “Burgundian.” Granted, I picked about the most California Burg I could find, and sort of wish we could have included a Chablis as a polar reference point to the Aubert, but you know, overall, well-rated Chards over $50 are in fact a safe bet for a yummy tasting, and I will be happy to re-prove that point on future occasions.