Jim Mehl wrote:
> Chateau Garage pressed our 2007 Napa Rutherford Cabernet this week.
> While doing so, one of our group decided to do a little cellar cleaning.
> We opened a 1979 and 1980 Kistler Chardonnay and a 1979
> Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. Both of the Kistlers were pretty
> much undrinkable. It wasn't so much the oxidation, but a total lack
> of fruit and a "chemical" character. The Chateau Montelena was rather
> nice. Definitely older, but still good Chardonnay fruit and a LOT of
> complexity. I think I will have to put Chateau Montelena up there with
> Stony Hill as a California Chardonnay that ages well.

Interesting notes, Jim. I'd have to agree about the ageability of
Montelena's Chardonnay, though Jean makes it difficult to put that
information into practice ;-) And I'm not that surprised about the
Kistlers, either: for all the talk of their "Burgundian" character, the
few Kistler Chards that I've had have just been big big big with tons of
oak and malo character. From your experience, it's tempting to conclude
that the way to make an ageworthy CA Chardonnay is to block malolactic
fermentation. Any idea whether Grgich-Hill's can age like that?

Mark Lipton

p.s. Great website for Chateau Garage! I had no idea that it existed.


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