Old Chards

Hi, Bill -

When you said "Old Chards" I assumed you meant 10+ years. I've had quite a few California Chardonnays that were just starting to get good at 5 years, and at plateau (which isn't really flat, so I don't know why it's called that) for another 5 or more years.

I opened my last bottle of the 1995 Joseph Swan "Wolfspierre Vineyard" a couple of days ago. The wine was a beautiful golden hue, but the nose was youthful and without any hint of oxidation. I could have held it for at least several more years, but it was rich and delicious with the BBQed salmon I paired with it.

I bought it at the winery last year. They were blowing it out at a reduced price (~$12 US) - probably because it had thrown some sediment in the bottle, which was due to its not having been bentonite fined. It was a nuisance to have to settle and decant the wine, but well worth the trouble.

Tom S

I have had several of Au Bon Climat's premium Chardonnays(from various vineyards and selected areas of vineyards) that have held up well at 10 years old and past. In fact some of these wines are rather sharp at first and need at least a few years to soften . Some that lasted well include Benedict Vineyard 1989, Bien Nacido Reserve 1990 and 1991, Arroyo Grande Valley Reserve Talley 1992, Le Bouge D'a Cote Bien Nacido

Some of Mount Eden Estate Chardonnays have aged well for extended periods, and others have peaked and started to decline in just a few years.

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young, but seemed to

Chardonnay, so I

colour of a Madeira (and

feature lemon and

mouth it was well

but good. We should

and the oak in the

harmonious whole, with

heavy, and the finish

with a definite mineral

Tasted blind, I'd have

deem them over the

chards!

Bill - Re Eileen Hardy - Many Australian chardonnays suffer from this premature ageing in my experience - even the expensive ones. I don't know what accounts for it - possibly overuse of oak along with excessive malolactic fermentation and comparatively low acidity. I don't take the chance nowadays and drink them within 2-3 years of vintage. Unwooded chardonnays are of course another story.

Martin

Another Cal Chard that ages well is Chalone. Had the 1980 about a year ago. It was brilliant (both literally and figuratively).

Marc

Marc Branch wrote: : Another Cal Chard that ages well is Chalone. Had the 1980 about a : year ago. It was brilliant (both literally and figuratively).

: Marc -

Did you just purchase this bottle? If you bought it from a place that has good storage (meaning COLD), see if they have a chenin blanc or pinot gris. Both of these were very good, esp. from the 80's and I think not made anymore. The chenin blanc came from very old vines and was a unique expression of that varietal.

Mark S

The wine was from a friend's cellar. He had purchased it on release, and it was the last bottle from a case. He opined that the wine drank wonderfully from release right up to that last bottle. My own vertical of the Chard extends only back to 1995.

Cheers, Marc

I bought as part of a job a couple of years ago lot a case of Puligny Montrachet 1970 la Garrene Bouchard (Pere et fils). Every bottle was wonderful. I saw another identical case at auction last year, bought it, but it was money wasted - all undrinkable.

That's auctions for you!

No, that's _provenance_ for you!

Tom S