Salinia Chardonnay Heintz Ranch

Golden color on the darker side. Nose pronounced nuttiness, some maple syrup and vanilla. Palate some vanilla, fleshy orange fruit and some tropical fruit notes, with orange peel slight acrid bitterness towards the end. Some appealing fruit character still with some richness, but definitely on the downslope with some concerning oxidative notes; drink now. 90 pts

Still a solid version of a Jura-style Chardonnay, but starting its decline. Not as vibrant as 10 months ago when I last had this wine. 93-94 points. The 2008 is much better at this stage. Drink the 2007 now and over the next year.

Same as my previous CT notes except that it lost a little "oomph" after about three hours of slow O2. Though I think this has the ability to go a number of years more, I think drinking now (and inside of the next couple of years) with no decant is best. A solid 95 at this point.

Similar to my previous CT notes. PnP with a strong, up-front Sherry/Jura style; notes of poached pear, butterscotch, roasted hazelnuts, crackerjack, BBQ'd pineapple, mesquite honey, lemon oil, and wood. I didn't notice the pithy citrus note this time that I had previously mentioned in CT. This is definitely starting to taste more like the amazing 2006 Salinia Heintz Chardonnay. As always, an oily and viscous body; a unique texture with completely enveloping, palate-coating flavors. Ready to drink now. Served at …

A Jura style, with butterscotch, hazelnuts, popcorn, baked Asian pear, pineapple, honey, citrus, and wood. More of the citrus notes than the 2006 or 2008 Salinia Chardonnays. An oily, viscous, rich, texture. Ready to drink now. Recommend at cellar temperature (54-57 degrees).

Nice combination of freshness and savory spicy depth on the nose - baked apple, citrus, spice, butterscotch, and a dash of piney-minty herbs. Oxidative, like a sous voile Jura wine but more subtle and controlled than most (and on a bigger frame); it works well, really adding to the complexity. Similar elements on the palate. Fairly big and full bodied, with a lot going on, and with ample fresh tart acidity holding everything together; cohesive and characterful. Juicy citrus along …

With the cheese plate at Thanksgiving. This was very large, Jura-style ox/caramel... Voluptuous and shows a real signature style for kevin kelley - not for everyone or every dish... But definitely a winner for my family and this cheese plate!!

Delicious stuff. A strong salty element and a moderately waxy character on the palate. There is a bit of that lemon note on the finish but it is moderate. Somewhat reminiscent of the better Chards from the Jura.