Since @James_Lyon is going to call me out, the least I can do is chime in since he was generous enough to brinng the bottle.
Among the helpful aspects to tasting this specific wine was it was alongside a “tired” 2012 Staglin Chardonnay. Some people thought the Staglin was “corked” but my view was it was slightly oxidized and tired – nice nose and some fruit but flat-ish and less interesting.
Why bring this up? Because the Matello was round and lush with an excellent flavor profile (see James’ comments). Restained and soft on the palate, the balanced flavors made this a joy to savor. It was not robust nor did I expect it to be. Full-bodied with a medium length finish. It was a “drink now” wine as I see it neither improving nor falling off… it’s in a good place right now so why wait?
Hard to pin it to just one. That one sticks out to me, but it also has the advantage of being from a region and era that I am most familiar with. I’ve been waiting to see if 1996s hit a peak where acid was integrated, and that one really was a lovely wine.
We cracked a 2016 Richard’s on Saturday and my wife’s comment was “this wine is built to last”. It was certainly enjoyable but it’s got stuffing to go quite a bit longer.
For sure. That is more a matter of how you like your Chardonnay - on the fresher side or aged side. I was simply suggesting that the 15/16s are now in a good place for drinking whereas the 18s are still too young and tight.
Sure Chris I totally understood that and apologies for my post suggesting otherwise. I just wanted to call out that the ‘16 was in a great spot- but had plenty left in the tank!
Took a 2017 WV Chardonnay camping this weekend. Man was it good. Ready to go and in no risk of imminent decline. Citrus and mineral and acid. All the things I like.
Email Marcus directly and he will help you put together an order based on what they have available to spare. That’s what I did for my first order and what has led to several subsequent case purchases.
Which one should I open tonight if I don’t plan on giving it a ton of air? Having BLTs with some killer local bacon and local 'maters if that makes a difference.
If you must…The BD Cuvee is really tasty already and you have six (I posted on this one a while back). My second choice would be the Fir Crest. I’ve not had it, but I’ve found that the Goodfellow Yamhill Carlton wines (Fir Crest, Bishop Creek) are lusher and approachable early on.
That psycho killer was tight as a drum about 6 months ago. I would probably advise otherwise unless you have a plethora. I have a case plus, so I opened one for scientific purposes. The stuffing is there, but it needs time or plenty of air…
