Chardonnay

This particular bottle had some questionable provenance as it was a gift from a friend and I’m unsure where he received it. I have fairly good experience with Sutcliffe Vineyards going back to vintages from the early 2000’s. This Chardonnay, while representative from a quality standpoint, has a lot more oxidative characteristics than what I would typically expect at this age. FWIW, the cork did show signs of saturation and perhaps this was the issue. Nevertheless, the wine showed the typical high quality known for the estate. It poured a deep golden color. On the nose it was squishy tropical fruit and nuts. On the palate, it was tropical fruit, nuts, baking spices and earth; definitely some sherry-like characteristics. The acid have the lift necessary to make the bottle interesting. Some at the table adored the wine. Others at the table couldn’t appreciate the oxidative characteristics, preferring their Chardonnay fresher. To each their own.

Pretty stinking good, as good as it gets with Chardonnay, great job Mr. Sutcliffe