3 | Wine | White, Napa Valley | Page 3

"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."

"Aromas of pear, lime and orange blossom mingle with subtle floral notes and the perfect amount of sweet toasty oak and vanilla. On the palate, intensely forward fruit and bright natural acidity complement each other and lead to a long rich finish."

"Slate, minerals, crushed rocks and grapefruit linger on the precise, crystalline finish. This is a very Chablis-like Napa Valley Chardonnay."

"As with the prior vintage, 2011 Signature Chardonnay was shaped by a cool, slow-ripening season and displays intricate aromatics and rich, persistent flavors. A tempting bouquet mingles lemon blossom and jasmine with citrus, then unfolds intriguing notes of nutmeg and quince. Generous flavors of lemon custard, pears and apples are wrapped in a creamy mouthfeel, while a streak of stony minerality gives the wine zest and complexity. The oak is exceptionally well-integrated, offering spicy qualities that linger on the finish."

"All the best elements of the vintage and house style come together in HdV’s 2009 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard. The fruit is a bit richer, riper and more voluptuous than in most HdV wines, which serves to balance the cool, vibrant style the estate favors. The 2009 impresses for its length, persistence and spherical finish. This is a great showing from HdV."

"This wine presents with attractive pale yellow hues speared by notes of youthful greens. Crisp, bright grapefruit and lime dominate the aromatics and are complemented with a hint of caper and lemon zest. Flavors of fresh lime and grapefruit persist with elements of kiwi, citrus and caper. This is a rich, generous and vibrant white wine with a brilliant, crisp finish."

"Like some of our other Chardonnay bottlings, this wine comes from two Napa Valley Carneros District vineyards, but the similarity ends there. In this case, we ferment exclusively in Stainless Steel tanks; the term '304' refers to the food grade quality of those tanks and reflects the high level of Nickel and Chromium used in their production. After a few months of contact with the lees in the tank, the wine is bottled without exposing it to oak barrels. The nose is pure Chardonnay. The flavors are lively and crisp, with a fresh, thirst-quenching finish. This is a perfect everyday wine and will be ideal with a wide variety of foods -- or even on its own as that first glass of white wine in the evening."