Winery - Freestone
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A massively constructed Chardonnay that’s opulent and concentrated and bursts in the mouth with pineapple, lemon drop candy, Asian pear and white peach flavors of enormous ripeness. The entire production of 108 cases was aged in new oak, so there’s a lavish veneer of sweet, smoky buttered toast. Sur lie aging is evident in the creaminess and ever so slight sourdough tartness that adds a piquant touch. This impressive Chard is at its best now in its flashy, flamboyant youth.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The best thing about this Chardonnay is the acidity. It’s brisk and clean, and gives a zesty finish to the extraordinarily rich pineapple, papaya, lime and Meyer lemon flavors that are almost sweet, but aren’t. A firm scour of minerals adds the necessary grounding to this complex wine. Drink now–2013, but not too cold.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The first thing you notice is the complexity of flavor, carrying waves of wild forest raspberries and cherries, framboise and other liqueury, extracted tastes, sprinkled with rose petal, Dr. Pepper cola and exotic spices, and rounded off with smoky sandalwood. Then the tannins and acids kick in, emphasizing extreme dryness. There are dozens of Pinot Noirs that are more drinkable now, but this is such an interesting interpretation that it deserves a place in your cellar. Try after 2013.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
There’s a bubble-gummy, almost Beaujolais quality to this Pinot, which spent 15 months in 3/4 new French oak. It’s rude now, with oaky, grapey flavors of black raspberry marmalade and Dr. Pepper cola. While it’s dry and crisp and interesting, it’s awkward. Is it an ager? Here’s where crystal balls are required. Try between 2011–2013.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
So brisk in acidity, you can taste the ocean winds that chill this coastal vineyard at night. It’s also extraordinarily ripe. Few Pinot Noirs get this fruity. Floods the mouth with the essence of raspberries and cherries. The acidity and a firm minerality give it much needed structure.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Quite a good Chardonnay, made from Freestone’s vineyards in the chilly southwestern part of the appellation, where coastal winds sweep in. Acidity and minerality give structure to the pineapple, honeysuckle, crème brûlée and buttered toast flavors. Drink this elegant wine now with upscale fare.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Smells quite herbal, with oregano and even hints of green bell pepper. But it’s sweet and ripe in the mouth, featuring cherry fruit and recurring herb flavors. It’s lush character makes it all too easy to drink. A second label from Von Strasser.
Tags:
Freestone Merlot - 1997
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Joseph Phelps, of Napa Valley fame, has been working this cool-climate vineyard for years. Now it’s paying off, in this acidic Chardonnay with a tang of the sea. Rich in Meyer lemon, lime, guava and spice flavors, its coating of smoky oak adds exotic levels of buttered toast and crème brûlée. Fascinating and tremendous.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is a Pinot Noir meant to be aged. No question about it, from the citrusy acids to the sandy tannins to the somewhat awkward primary fruit flavors that desperately want to resolve with the oak. Packed with raspberries and cherries, the wine is completely dry and firm in minerals, and seems easily able to age for at least six years. Only 120 cases were produced.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Another terrific wine from this vineyard, following the superb ’07. May be a bit less flamboyant, but with better structure, and equally ageable. Dry and full bodied and fairly tannic, it shows powerful cherry and raspberry fruit, smoked meat, sautéed wild mushroom and sandalwood flavors, liberally spiced. Drinkable now, and should develop through 2014, at least.
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