Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc 2004:
I feel like this bottle was perhaps a little more evolved than I wanted it to be. It was still nice, showing a waxy, slightly viscous nose- think candle wax, crushed almonds and ripe Bartlett pear slices. The core of the wine offers more styled citrus flavors- some ripe, some slightly candied and some (the most intriguing) dried- along with more creamy/waxy notes and a touch of broken wet stones of some sort. The major problem with wine lies with definition and finish. I wanted more vigor, more push towards something . . . instead of . . . But, as I mentioned in the beginning, I do think the bottle may have been a bit more evolved than what the user normally wants. I will try another to be sure. For now I prefer other vintages for long term use. 89 points
Kongsgaard Chardonnay 2003:
Clearly in the top three for least favorite wine of the evening among the guests. Showed a bit of muted nose and too much marzipan and sugar cookie and too little real fruit for me to really dig it. The fruit that was there seemed a little confectionery in quality- almost like apricot jam as well. There was a little smoke and still a good amount of oak. I am on the fence about liking these wines. 87 points