Joseph Phelps, Ovation Chardonnay, Napa Valley

Joseph Phelps · California › Napa Valley › United States of America

White · Chardonnay

Critics

89 /100

Reviews

professional

Vintages

No vintages

No vintage-specific entries have been added for this wine.

Community Reviews

Reviews

89.5

Avg Score

Highest

Canned mixed fruits and creme brulee notes on the nose are just fabulous. Pineapple, mango, pear, and some white pepper notes are quite pleasing, although the palate is not up to par with the nose due to a hint of bitterness. 14.1% alc

1999 vintage

A little beyond the drink date but still good

2002 vintage

Showing evidence of age but frankly still quite delicious if you like oaky chardonnay in the overdone style of some modern day Cotes de Beaune whites. Honey, apricots and golden apples with dollops of new oak. Similar on the palate with honey, stewed apples, oak and still a dash of acidity on the finish which livens things up. Obviously time to drink but a great demonstration of how top Cali Chardonnays can age if well made. The honey sweetness came …

2002 vintage

Blind tasting, golden colour. Superb expressive nose: fantastic sweat cocktail of vanilla pine apple , seductive green lemon peal, and a touch of coconut. Surprisingly the mouth is dry, a bit over oaky, super exotic, good bitterness, high acidity and a long after finish. A very special style for a European palate. I was sure it was a sweat wine. Difficult to rate for me. The match with a panned foie gras is very modern. An very nice experience, I�ll …

2002 vintage

Golden color belied its age but the wine itself still had vestiges of vigor. Toasty nose with baking spices and brioche. There is still a hint of acidity on the palate which is not heavy despite the 14%, just pleasantly evolved in a butterscotch, toasty way from the oak aging. The richness allows it to be paired to some spices such as cumin with which it worked well. Impressive for a warm climate Chardonnay.

1999 vintage

This was the wine of the night! We opened a 1.5L expecting the Ovation to be past its prime. We were blown away by this burgundian style chardonnay. Beautiful fruit on the nose, and a little smoke/earth. Perfectly balanced with a long finish. Light, white fruits and flowers and a rich mouthfeel. This was one of the finest CA Chards that I have ever tasted.

1999 vintage

Pale yellow, almost clear. Sharp pear notes. Unexpectedly sweet and noticeably over-oaked, yet quite dry in the mouth. I don't like this wine enough to give it any more thought. Not a wine that I am happy to own, and I've got five bottles left to unload on some poor unsuspecting bastards. EDIT: I leave the above in place as a reminder to myself not to judge wines before they have decanted sufficiently. I learned this long ago with reds …

2002 vintage

My oh my, this is drinkin' fine right now. It has developed addtl complexity over time, and the myriad of aromas and tastes was fabulous. Deftly balanced toasty oak, far from overwhelming, complimented the spice, fruit, and citrus...best bottle of Ovation I can remember...

2002 vintage

Still very good. Lots of sugar. Good oak. Thought would be too old. But still nice. Always loved this wine.

1999 vintage

no notes taken...recollection was surprised that it had so much form at this age given the warm vintage

2002 vintage

very nice chard

2002 vintage

Bottle drank well, good fruit, a little too much oak.

1999 vintage

I've got to agree with Siggy's earlier comments. It is very good with a nice sense of balance. Great fruit and lovely nose. Good substitute for a French white burgundy. I'd like to try some of this in about three years to get a further sense of how well the terrior displays itself....

2002 vintage

This is really drinking well! Nice balance, nice chardonnay character. Great wine for those who love the larger, oakier style of the wine.

1999 vintage

Good. James really liked it, Jen thought it okay but not as good as the 99 Carneros. I liked it most after it got about an hour of air.

2002 vintage

From the Phelps Preferred fall mailer -- a pleasant surprise. Floral nose, thick texture, with a palate of pear, vanilla, and a touch of butterscotch. Nice acid balance. There is a lot of toasty oak, but it is well integrated and doesn't overwhelm the wine. I wouldn't call this "Burgundian" since it doesn't have the classic stone/mineral notes, but it does show a lot of the balance and finesse that I associate with good White Burgundy.

2002 vintage

Tasted next to the 2000 which I liked slightly better. I thought this was watery and thin tasting for a Cal Chard. It had a petrol nose and some heat on the finish. Rather spicy in the midpalate. 84.

1999 vintage