2005 Belle Cote Chardonnay

The Chardonnay Belle Cote is always a more exotic wine. There are 2,200 cases of the 2005 Chardonnay Belle Cote, a wine with undeniable notes of crushed stones, white peach, orange, nectarine, and quince. Medium to full-bodied, with zesty acidity, stunning minerality, and a firm structure, this is a gorgeous, French-styled Chardonnay that should drink nicely for up to a decade. This 121-acre estate with 114 producing acres of vineyard all located in Knight’s Valley continues to be at the top of their game and I can’t recommend the wines highly enough. I was surprised when I showed up at Peter Michael to find both Nicolas Morlet, who replaced his brother Luc, and Luc Morlet himself, were at my tasting. It seems that Luc is still doing consulting work with his brother firmly entrenched at the winery. This is still one of the best-run wineries in the world, and one might quibble over the fact that there are so many different cuvees of Chardonnay, but they are all subtly different in style/personality. The Morlets proclaimed to me that essentially there is very little difference in the character of the Chardonnays in 2005 and 2006, except they thought the acid levels were slightly higher in 2005 and the 2006s were riper. In any event, these are sensational Chardonnays, and readers couldn’t go wrong no matter which one they buy. Previously recommended: 2005 Sauvignon Blanc l’Apres Midi (93), 2004 Chardonnay Point Rouge (95+), 2004 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir (94), 2004 Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille (94), 2004 Chardonnay Cuvee Indigene (97), 2004 Chardonnay La Carriere (95), 2004 Chardonnay Belle Cote (95). Tel. (707) 942-3200; Fax (707) 942-0209