Nickel & Nickel
Searby Vineyard Chardonnay 2002
Chardonnay Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California Excellent This suave and elegant single-vineyard chardonnay is barrel-fermented and aged 11 months in French oak barrels, 50 percent new, the rest once-used; however, it undergoes no malolactic fermentation, preserving crispness and liveliness that both contrast with and support its richness and lushness. The flavors are pineapple-grapefruit, freighted with pear and orange blossom, and though the wine is completely dry, the ripeness of the fruit conveys a sense of softness and roundness that feels almost sweet. Drink through 2006.
Nickel & Nickel
Truchard Vineyard Chardonnay 2002 Chardonnay Carneros, California Exceptional
Like its stablemate, the Searby Vineyard Chardonnay 2002, this model is barrel-fermented and aged 11 months in French oak, half new, half used once; similarly, it does not undergo malolactic fermentation. So here is a chardonnay whose lushness and fullness depend on the character and ripeness of the grapes themselves. Not a trace of tropical fruit or creme brulee mars the brilliant polish of gorgeous pineapple-grapefruit flavors that extend down through the layers of spice, minerals, floral notes and subtle oak. We drank this with shrimp risotto and didnʼt wish for a second for a white wine a tad simpler.
