Wren Hop Chardonnay Shipwreck Savior

Amber in color, fresh pineapple and apples on the nose, 0 acidity now but smooth with a buttery note. Some brioche. Likely past it’s prime :(

Drink now! Acidity fading. Gentle lemon.

Great note by CSIMM (as usual). I’ll say that the Mel Brooks metaphor is certainly valid. Where we differ is that I think this wine is breaking down. Yes the (100% new French) oak has integrated but the alcohol levels on these wines are really heady and it shows here with 9 years of bottle age. I find not quite enough acidity to make this go the distance. Secondary (or tertiary if we’re being technical) notes of raw hazelnut, orange …

Wren Hop Dinner : 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 hints of oxidation, but notably balanced and smooth. This wine never died out over the course of the evening (3+ hours), persisting with its fruit, frame, and drive all the while in the glass exposed to open air. Bruised lemon, hazelnut, marmalade, burnt …

Nice golden yellow, very visible glycerin legs. I swear a bit of cream soda on the nose. Rich lemon cream flavors with a touch of oak. Beautiful mouth-filling sensation without being too heavy. Nice acidity complements the rich flavor profile.

California Wine Country with Jill for our 30th's; 9/9/2012-9/15/2012 (California) : Taste with Victoria Bevan at the winery. 202 cases. Soft vanilla cream. Touch of baking spice. High toned. Moderate full body with a nice mouth feel again. Really well made.

Pretty interesting wine actually. The nose is quite distinctive and the there is a strong taste profile of lemon curd.

Wednesday Night Blind - January 2012 (Peter Pratt's Inn) : Blind - Bob insisted I try and guess the winemaker, I kept thinking Thomas R. Brown, but it was Russell Bevan - I love Russell's wines, and this was a great version of Cali Chardonnay, not over done or blustery, wonderfully rich yet the oak while present was well mannered. It had a large streak of lemon cream pie that ran through it, quite interesting. Very nice wine.

Fall 2011 SF Vintners Market (Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California) : Light yellow color; rich, baked lemon, apple nose; baked apple, cinnamon, apple palate; medium-plus finish