($175) Hazy gold. Deep, resiny and pungent on the nose, with intense pear and Meyer lemon aromas given complexity by iodine and licorice, and picking up an exotic cherry pit quality with air. Focused and impressively pure, with vibrant citrus peel and mineral tones. Builds and deepens with air, showing a jaw-dropping depth charge of citrus, peach and melon flavors on the energetic finish. "This is not meant to be the most concentrated wine, but the most complex," said Nic Morlet, adding that the average yield for this selection in '05 was just one ton per acre.

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The 2005 Chardonnay Point Rouge has that light goldish-greenish hue to its color, much like the other wines, deep, full-bodied flavors, great ripeness, but more restraint, structure, and almost a sense of tannin given the wine's firmness. This is a beauty, but given the higher acids in 2005, I would age this for another 6-12 months before I began drinking it. Having said that, I have already consumed two bottles of my allocation at charity events, and they were huge hits with the participants.

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Light gold with greenish hue. Full-bodied. Very long finish. Great concentration. Honeyed pineapple. Lemony. Great acidity. Real big. Part of a month-long comparison with other "best barrel" Chardonnays from the 05 vintage