A bit more expressive than when I last had it in September. With some air, this opened up nicely with some yellow citrus and mineral notes. The lemon note became more prominent and riper over the…
Lemon and glycol-laced alcohol. Some yellow citrus and vanilla flavors swirling around that appear to have promise, but the seamlessness is almost completely absent. Clunky on delivery and a bit…
Creme brûlée all the way! Also gushing with lemon curd, apple pie filling, olive oil, hints of passionfruit/guava, and fresh whipped cream notes. More relaxed on the acid and grip this time around.…
Lemon, quince, honey, and faint candied ginger. An exquisite balance, with a subtle sweetness that delivers light on its feet. Finishes with a pleasantly dry tail, with barely a hint of detectable RS…
Upon service, and once the wine warmed up to around cellar temperature (initially served at refrigerator temp - too cold/muted for me for the first 15+ minutes), the Ritchie displayed its familiar…
For a Chardonnay that is a decade from vintage, this had a beautifully elongated stretch of flavors that drove across the palate with surprising verve and tension. Showing some age with the slightest…
Ripe lemon citrus, bruised lemon and orange rind, olive oil, golden raisin, and some salted caramel. A ripe, somewhat oxidized style, with an overtly aged profile that fakes you into thinking this…
A migraine Chardonnay all the way through. Steely and astringent alcohol-laced lemon water topped with 9V batteries wrapped in green apple skin. Finishes bitter and hollow.
Initially heavy on the lamp oil, lemontini, and vanilla alcohol flavors, making for an angular entry and less-than-seamless delivery overall. Primary and somewhat hollow yellow citrus and bruised…
Honeyed yellow citrus, vanilla, meringue, yellow pear, lychee, and faint/light butterscotch notes. Medium-to-full front end and mid-palate weight, with a medium-long finish that tails off with a…
Previous notes from March 31, 2018 are still applicable, with special attention to the notion that a little time in bottle has seemingly elevated this wine even further. PnP was fresh, lively, and a…
A broad and primary hit of yellow citrus and petrol on the initial pull gave way to a more relaxed profile after about two hours of air. It took every bit of that time to fan out and find some…
Sonoma County · Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Still kicking out energetic yellow citrus oil and lightly honeyed lemon flavors. Some alcohol and vanilla glycol on the initial pull, making for an angular attack initially. Balanced out much better…
Notes of yellow citrus, apple flesh, lightly honeyed oil, faint grass, white seashell, and subtle minerality. Not a hugely saline-driven or mineral-infused animal, but with enough cut to keep the…
Yellow citrus, peach, yellow apple flesh, lemon oil, honey, vanilla, and some faint hazelnut dust. Well balanced on the front end, with an equally impressive weight distribution on the mid-palate.…
Improving with time (since I last had it in the summer). Previous notes apply, but this was a bit more accessible and giving flavor-wise than before. Promising progression so far. Deeper on the…
Green apple skin, vanilla glycol, and lemon seed on PnP gave way to more unctuous flavors after about 30 minutes of air, with apple pie, poached pear, honeyed lemon oil, vanilla bean, and an enticing…
Quite the nice balance between dry and sweet, with just the slightest kiss of RS to give it body and depth and not come across too arid or saliva-sucking. Bruised lemon, honeyed lemon oil, pineapple,…
Lightly buttered yellow citrus, poached pear, pumice, and some green apple flesh. Some olive oil and vanilla also make an appearance. With some swirling in the glass, this opened up nicely and…
Pear, grass, and green apple dominate the core flavors in this nicely endowed Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley. Medium-bodied, with a decent drive on the finish. The pear note repeats on the back…
High-toned lemon citrus, grapefruit, grass, and alkaline. Acidic, bitter, and astringent hits on the tail-end, as well as some alcohol; a bit of a hollow mid-palate that skips some depth and…
An opportunity to administer the "at home" test on this wine to follow it in a more controlled environment and without other wines to fatigue-out or pull away focus on the palate. All eyes on…
Still loving this wine. All previous notes apply. Good drive and weight on this SB. Lime zest, creamy yellow citrus oil, and dry grass elements really playing well off of each other. Drink now.
The 2016 Morlet Coup de Coeur is the domestic Chardonnay of the vintage. Pure sophistication and ethereal purity in a glass, with a perfectly balanced equilibrium of fresh and focused yellow citrus…
A solid example of Ritchie, showing a deft Morlet-esque restraint that is sometimes overlooked with other more bombastic versions from this site. Focused and precise, with medium-bodied flavors of…
