Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006
2009
Wine Spectator, June 30 2011
Fresh, intense and vibrant, displaying a tight mix of full-bodied, citrus-laced green apple and pear flavors, with a touch of crème brûlée. Ends with a delicate mix of subtle flavors. Drink now through 2016. –JL 92 points
2008
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #187, February 2010
"The 2008 Chardonnay reveals a greenish hue to its medium straw color as well as a super-intense nose of mandarin oranges, quince, white peaches, and hints of brioche and earth. Full-bodied with good underlying minerality, this crisp, elegant, fresh white wine is another superb effort from a winery that has a Midas touch with Chardonnay." 95 points
2007
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #180, December 2008
"For starters, the 2007 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast may be one of Pahlmeyer’s finest Chardonnays to date (it’s coming right on the heels of their two brilliant 2006 Chardonnays). Most of the fruit comes from the Ritchie Vineyard, a site from which Mark Aubert also produces incredible wines. This 1,600-case cuvee is fashioned from the old Wente and Mt. Eden clones. Like the finest California Chardonnays, it reveals a light greenish hue to its straw color in addition to a beautiful perfume of nectarines, brioche, subtle smoke, crushed rocks, and gobs of white peach and pineapple fruit. This full-bodied beauty should drink easily for 5-6 years." 95 points
Wine Spectator, June 30 2009
"Rich, intense and well-structured, with ripe pear, apple, melon and a dash of citrus, giving this full-bodied wine a long, complex, mouthcoating finish. Drink now through 2012. 1,620 cases made." –JL 93 points
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, May/June 2009
"Good full yellow. More minerally on the nose than the Napa Valley offering, with piquant fruit notes of tangerine and pink grapefruit. More intensely flavored and less sweet than the Napa release, but distinctly laid-back and linear today. Conveys the firm acid impression of a cool year-or is this simply a function of the phenolic lift on the back end? A classy, low-fat wine with a light touch. In fact, notes winemaker Erin Green, the 2007 Pahlmeyer chardonnays finished with lower pHs than the 2006s." 92 points
2006
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #174, December 2007
"Ever since Demi Moore tried to seduce Michael Douglas in the blockbuster movie "Disclosure," Pahlmeyer's Chardonnay has been a hot ticket. What might get lost in the glare of Hollywood is that the wine is superb. The 2006 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast, all made from old Wente clones, represents...sensational Burgundian style Chardonnay with leesy notes of brioche, nectarine, honeysuckle, orange rind, and some pear and pineapple. Beautiful fruit, full body, great acidity, and a textured mouthfeel make this a sensational Chardonnay to drink over the next 5-7 years." 95 points
Connoisseur's Guide to California Wine, December 2008
"As big, bold and beautifully oaked as Chardonnay is bound to get, this latest offering from Pahlmeyer never once loses sight of incisive, impressively extracted, ripe-apple fruit, and, although a dense and very full-bodied wine, it is uncannily well-balanced. Its scant last-minute heat strikes us as being a small price to pay for such remarkable richness and range, and, as the cream will invariably rise to the top, it too rises to the head of this year's Chardonnay class." Three Stars
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, May/June 2008
"Bright yellow. Lemon drop, orange, pineapple, ginger, smoke and minerals on the slightly exotic nose. Tactile and dry, with a chewy phenolic element and a note of butterscotch; today I find this a bit less fruity than the 2005 version. There's still a slight edge of acidity here that calls for 6 to 12 months of patience. Winemaker Erin Green routinely stirs the lees through May." 91 points
Wine Spectator, July 31 2008
"Sleek-bodied, with perfumed floral, honeysuckle, fig, melon and citrus blossom scents that give this a lovely aroma. Elegant and refined on the palate, with mineral and wet stone notes. Drink now through 2011." -JL 90 points