jcg@cbosgd.UUCP (Jim Grams) (10/12/84)
I recently attended a blind tasting of California Chardonnays that was intended to demonstrate the differences between vintages for Chardonnays. The following is a summary of my tasting notes: Poor, don't buy these: '82 Far Niente, Napa ($19 in Columbus) Light, no fruit, tart. '81 Silverado Cellars, Napa ($8) Bad nose, good taste, bad finish. Fair, don't but a lot of these: '83 Far Niente, Napa ($19) Ordinary, good, but nothing exciting. '82 Burgess Reserve, Napa ($10.50) Dirty, but decent. Acidic Good, buy if you like: '83 St. Clement, Napa ($16) Quite nice, good chardonnay character, nothing like the '79 or '80 from them, though. Great, don't miss: '81 Chateau Montelena, Napa ($25) Supurb, expensive and worth it. '81 Burgess, Napa ($10.50 -> $8.40 in Columbus) Great. Slightly sulphury, but excellent everywhere else. A steal!!!! We also had a bottle of '82 St. Clement that had a bad cork and was withdrawn. Tom Burgess is apparently dumping his stocks of the '81 and the price is dropping, at least here in Columbus. Buy it for drinking now and for the next couple of years. Jim Grams cbosgd!jcg