Obviously if you are from Napa or have been around you are aware of this man. He seems like an extremely bright and thoughtful individual and has contributed to the development of wine especially with the advent of the unfiltered Newton Chardonnay which I actually have had before albeit a long time ago (I really don’t drink a lot of whites but do like having a few in the cellar for dinners - currently have 77 bottles) Never had any of his eponymous chards but I do get the feel they are a bit polarizing - curious to hear from both the lovers and haters why you either like or dislike his wines. Thanks.
I consumed quite a few in my early days, but haven’t in years so take my thought with A grain of salt.
It seems to me like they are certainly well made wines if one prefers the style. I think of them as more of a wine made in the cellar rather than the vineyard.
I wouldn’t turn down a first glass if offered I’m quite sure, but doubt I’d ask for a second any longer.
I always liked the Syrah quite a bit more and used to pick those off of Winebid for crazy cheap.
I’ve historically not liked them, finding them excessively unctuous and lacking verve, but more recent vintages have shown much better balance and I quite enjoyed the 2019 and 2022. I’ve only had a few vintages of The Judge, none of which were recent, but I thoroughly disliked the 2012.
I guess this is what I am trying to get at - he has this interesting history of making wines in a Burgundian Style (or at least that’s the way I understand it) with a decent amount of oak (hey DRC uses Oak!) but because of the climate (?) the wines end up a bit more heavy handed than a typical Burgundy?
I’m not sure how much is climate and how much is the choice to pick when very ripe and then push the extraction so the wines are intense without the acidity they need to provide balance. More recent vintages have had more apparent acidity and not as much extraction so they are more balanced and more enjoyable for my palate.
I have not had any of his wines for almost a decade. But the 2001 remains my favorite California Chardonnay; I enjoyed a half case of them over 8 plus year period.