What Is America's Benchmark Chardonnay?

WINE TALK
81

First of all, my asking who issued the statement that Marcassin was the benchmark was not done to argue with or make fun or any other sinister motive than to understand who made the statement. It helps to know who made it to see where they are coming from and what wine and why they would consider Marcassin the benchmark.

So my response was hey, if you are looking for historical benchmark then you have to look at wines like Stony HIll, Hanzell, Ch Montelena, Mt Eden, Mayacamas, etc.

If you are looking at current benchmarks then it depends and we’ve covered the hows and whys. To summarize:

Most wine drinkers it is probably the likes of Kendall Jackson and Rombauer

If you follow critics scores/aftermarket price etc it is probably Marcassin and Aubert.

That being said beyond that is all preference. I prefer Aubert to Marcassin (my experience with the 96 Marcassin aside), Kongsgaard, Peter Michael.

I also enjoy immensely wines like Mt Eden, Stony Hill, and Hanzell which many would consider the benchmark for CA Chardonnay

82

I’ve also been around for a while. Was on both Hanzell and Stony Hill mailing lists, as well as Mt Eden Estate and Chalone Reserve. Those were great wines, as were some from Mayacamas, Long, Matanzas Creek when Merry Edwards was making the wine, and some of the auction barrels from Beringer (believe me, they were really good).

Are they better than some of the top Chardonnays currently made in California? Are the top current California Chardonnays better than the ‘old’ ones? Like them both quite a bit. However, I believe there is more good wine made now than then. Including Chardonnay and pretty much everything else. Fellow old timers, do you remember when the ‘chemists’ were in vogue in the 80’s and so many wines tasted like science projects?

Interesting, in light of Parker becoming a industry spokesman these days, was his campaign in the '80s against the excessively filtered, chemically induced proper ‘balance,’ souless, sterile wines that were so prevalent at the time… (Parker-style ellipses intentional)

—Tony posted while I was typing—

83

I prefer to think in terms of drinking a mouthful of fresh razor blades. mmm…double-edged goodness…mmmmmm

But we did spend our summers in Rangoon and occasionaaly wore meat helmets…

84

Ridge?? Cause they make large over oaked butter bombs that rich old ladies love and the rest of us don’t.

I have no problem saying that even though I am a total Ridge lover, and have been for many years. But their Chard’s are terrible. I can say I’ve barrel tasted some Chard they’ve done in French Oak that was FAR better than any of their other chards in new American oak. I wish they would have commerically bottled and sold it, but it was only experimental I was told.


(disclaimer: a good friend I’ve known since childhood works there, but I’ve loved Ridge since before he started there).

85

Shouldn’t all these posts be moved to the “What is California’s Benchmark Chardonnay” thread?

86

Old time fans of Chalone, Mt. Eden, Stony Hill, and Hanzell…no love for non-maloed Montelena?

RT

87

Mmmm. Grand Cru Chablis. Now we’re talking Chardonnay.

88

And for shits and giggles, here’s a list of my current favorite CA Chardonnays:

Aubert
Ramey
Mt Eden
August West & Freeman (Ed’s a good friend)
Peay
Rivers Marie (used to work with Thomas at Outpost)
Stony Hill
Ceritas (only one vintage bottled that I know of but it was killer)

I am probably missing a few but my Chardonnay loving Traci isn’t nicknamed the CHardster b/c she hates Chardonnay

89

Did a Marcassin dinner with the Minny Apple boys last year…had most of the estate chards and pinots. Of the 16 wines, I found two of them enjoyable. One pinot and one chard. To the last one, I found the chards over the top, oaky, steroidal, lacking complexity and nuance, just way too over the top for me. It is a stylistic preference and one that I do not enjoy. I personally think Marcassin is way overrated…I have probably had 40 bottles of the chard and 60 of the pinots over the years. The qualities that permit RMP et al to give the wine such high scores are negatives to me. First and foremost, I think the wines lack acidity and structure… too fat, hot, big and flabby.

Though I haven’t had one in awhile, I have always thought the DuMol Chloe vineyard chardonnay to be one of the best I have had out of California.

Back in the day, Mt. Eden and Stony Hill were pretty damn good… though I haven’t had one in years…

90

An oversight. Probably still have some old Napa in storage, along with a relic or two of the others mentioned.

91

Scott - damn, I forgot DuMol. The 02 DuMol Chloe was such a beautiful Chardonnay. I finished my last of 3 bottles last year some time and it was still drinking so terrificly. Andy Smith makes some darn good Chards

92

Hell to the yeah…plus you gotta shower love on a winery smart enough to make a chardonnay from almost 90% Sonoma County fruit, and recognizing the superiority of that fruit use that wine to kick the ever livin’ be-jesus out of the frogs at the Judgement of Paris tasting.

93

Nice turn of a phrase John. I like the way it works with France. Mind if I use it on USC?

94

Ditto. I’ve told the story before about an offline we did a few years ago with a couple of Corton Charlemagne flight. Someone generously brought a Marcassin ringer that Parker had called out as more Corton than Corton. I just looked up his note for the 2002 Marcassin Marcassin: “Not surprisingly, the 2002 Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard is tight, but has come on like gang busters and is certainly a remarkable effort. Tasting like a prodigious Chevalier-Montrachet or Corton-Charlemagne, it exhibits wonderfully subtle notes of nectarine, hazelnut, crushed rock, white currants, and a touch of smoke and earth. Full-bodied with great acidity, this glorious effort may be the Chardonnay of the vintage. It should drink well for at least a decade.” That wine stuck out like a sore thumb from the two CCs in its flight. No one wanted to drink it.

I agree with others who have listed some of the historical benchmarks of Hanzell, Mt Eden, Stony Hill, and I would add Montelena in some vintages, though it seems to get zero mention anywhere. My up-and-coming benchmarks today are Peay and Ceritas.

95

I was actually thinking of posting this before opening this thread, but it fits in well here: The latest Ojai mailer has some introductory notes by Adam Tolmach that are very interesting in the context of this discussion:

"This harvest started off at a ferocious pace. After the coolest summer I can remember in Ojai, I expected ripening to be delayed. But instead a mild heat-spell that began at the end of the last week of August propelled all the grapes we buy in Ojai as well as the sauvignon blanc and pinot noir purchased in northern Santa Barbara County to ripen quickly. By the end of the first week of September we had brought in 60% of our grapes for the year, about 2 weeks ahead of our usual schedule.

Imagine my bewilderment when I was back up in the vineyards checking out the chardonnay, which always ripens later, to see another winemaker’s pinot noir grapes still hanging on the vine three weeks after I had harvested mine! I was so curious that I had to pick a few berries and taste this super ripe fruit. Regrettably these pinot grapes were flat tasting, since there was no natural acidity left. The grapes were mellow and sweet, tasted like raisins and plums-but they lacked freshness or spiciness.

The best time to pick a vineyard remains a quandary in rain-free Southern California. No compelling environmental worries, like impending winter storms force the hand of the winemaker. It is much more subtle-what aroma, flavor, and texture-profile does one prefer? A few years ago, the most popular style for chardonnay was a wine of super ripeness, extreme alcohol, over-the-top oakiness, and flabby acidity. Maximum impact was the goal, finesse and balance were eschewed. While the market for these clunky wines is still thriving, consumer interest in chardonnays with zip and minerality, wine that makes your mouth water for another sip, is growing apace. I see a similar future for red wine in this country, following the evolution we have seen with chardonnay. "

96

I think highly of them but they are not flashy. They age wonderfully and really need some time to start showing their worth. Sadly 06 was the last vintage of the Anden (previously 7 Springs).

J

97

Benchmark level of quality - for me - 2006 Kistler Hudson Vineyard Chardonnay…

98

I have tasted an enormous number of Ca. chards over the past two years, mostly aged between 8-15 years and have to admit to being surprised by many of the wines I expected to be stellar that were not and vice versa.

I have tasted the 84, 86, 87, 88, 89, 91, 92, 93 and 94 Stony Hill chards more times than I now care. They have uniformly disappointed me. The shocking results are that they are mostly flabby and lack depth, the exact opposite of what was expected.

The Arcadian chards have probably been my favorite. Although I preferred the early Bien Nacido vintages to the current Sleepy Hollow, all have been well received. The 96 and 97 BN were simply outstanding and still drinking well today. The 99 was a disappointment, seemingly dying a quicker death than most of Joe’s chards, but some have shown a little life today. The 2000 SH may be my favorite chard of all time. I will be enjoying this wine for another ten years (at least).

The Montelena chards have impressed. I never thought I liked Napa chards but drinking these with 15 years on them gives them a chance to shed the oak and baby fat and show layers of flavor and terrific structure. The 1990 is a revelation as is the 93. The 94 and 95 are on the decline but drinking very well today. What shocked me most about these wines were the stunning acidic framework, not what I expected from what I thought were big blousy wines.

Say what you want about Kistler, when you put 10-15 years on the chards, they are stunners. The 94 and 95 are still youthful and exciting chards. Again, to my surprise, these have beautiful acidity and structure. They have power and remind you of a Corton Charlemagne. As you get into the late ‘90s, they tend to show a lot of oak but after having many of the early ‘90s vintages; I think they simply need more years to evolve.

The Varner chards from 2002-2004 are amazingly balanced wines. These are more like a Mersault with mineral and flint always dancing about, than California. I have not had the earlier versions but am always on the lookout as I would guess these could age 15-20 years. I just bought a 1998 Spring Ridge last week. I look forward to letting it settle and opening it with Christmas dinner.

The Bannister chards from the Rochioli-Allen vineyards have also been some of my favorites. I don’t have my notes in front of me but I have had the 95 and 96 and thought both vintages were in the Top 10 of all-time chards. They have no holes, are very broad and deep and tend to be a bit flashier, even in their old age.

Forman has been hit or miss. The ’92 is a stunner; a big, meaty wine with great acidity. The ’92, ’93 and ‘94 were already dead.

My favorite young Chards are Bjornstad from Barbed Oak and Porter-Bass. These are balanced and focused wines with amazing layers of flavor. They are one of the few chards I prefer to drink at room temperature when the complexity goes through the roof.

Regards,
Steve

99

Steve, good pick with Montelena. Something to note is that they do not use much oak, and I believe the wines are not 100% malo, which to me has always given them a strong acidic backbone. That coupled with not picking at the riper levels popular over the past few years (though I haven’t had a recent vintage Montelena in several years) makes wines of the style you describe.
Cheers

100

If forced to pick an actually bottling, I would think the benchmark is the now defunct Chards made by Marcassin, formerly off the now-Jess Jackson owned Gauer Upper Barn out of the Alexander Valley in the early to mid 1990’s. Elixer of the Gods.