3 | Wine | White, Napa Valley, 86 to 90

"Bracing, slightly raw aromas of lemon peel, grapefruit and pepper. Then surprisingly supple following the nose, with a dense, tactile lemony flavor intensified by sound acidity. Vibrant, very dry and delicate sauvignon blanc with excellent length."-Stephen Tanzer

"Straw yellow. Pungent aromas of pineapple, grapefruit and lime zest. Intense and savory, with excellent thrust to the citrus zest and floral flavors. Mondavi picks this fruit early (80% of it is from owned vineyards), using dry ice and SO2 to protect it from air at the pressing. Youthfully tight and very fresh. Yes, the sauvignon blancs were presented after the reserve chardonnay at my March tasting at Mondavi."

"The 2011 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch has a similar aromatic and flavor profile as the 2010 with more textural richness and oiliness because of the presence of botrytis in this vintage. I have to say, the 2011 is highly intriguing. It will be interesting to see where the wine goes over the coming years."

"Rutherford Ranch has once again turned in an impressive performance with their 2011 Chardonnay. Crisp and elegant, with attractive notes of white peaches, tropical fruits and wet stones, this medium-bodied white should be consumed over the next year." -Robert Parker

"Fresh and vibrant, with snappy, ripe pear, green apple and floral scents that show a touch of Key lime and citrus. Full-bodied and still a bit raw and leesy, but very complete."