2007 Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The superb 2007 Chardonnay Richard Dinner Vineyard offers abundant notes of tropical fruits, mangoes, pineapples, orange marmalade, and subtle smoke in a rich, full-bodied, dense style displaying good acidity, fruit, and one of the signs I always look for in high quality Chardonnay, a greenish hue to its light yellow/gold color. This is a big wine that appears to have some tannin. Readers looking for wines packed with flavor as well as personality can do no better than uber-consultant Paul Hobbs’ line-up of Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Syrahs. All of his bottled wines showed even stronger than they did from barrel tastings. All of these Chardonnays spend between 10 and 16 months in barrel, with the percentage of new oak ranging from 80% (for the Cuvee Agustina), 70% (for the Walker Station), and 55-65% for the Ritchie, Ulises Valdez, and Richard Dinner cuvees. The 2008 Chardonnays, while very good, are not up to the level of the flawless 2007s. The 2008 Pinot Noirs performed well, although they are slightly lower-keyed wines without the structure and density of the 2007s. Paul Hobbs produces Syrah from the Kick Ranch Vineyard, which is in the so-called Petaluma Wind Gap (lots of wind and a cool coastal temperature). Tel. (707) 824-9879; Fax (707) 824-5843
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Yellow-gold. Deep, smoky aromas of poached pear, yellow apple, pit fruits and toasty lees. Weighty orchard fruit flavors are chewy in texture and firmed by a refreshingly bitter lemon pith quality. Showy and impressively expansive on the finish, which strongly echoes the pit fruit and smoky notes.
About the producer
Paul Hobbs is one of California wine’s biggest names. Twice named Wine Personality of the Year by Robert Parker, he joined Robert Mondavi in 1977, worked at Opus One and Simi before setting up his eponymous winery in 1991.