2007 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay Robert Young Vineyard

The 2007 Chardonnay Robert Young Vineyard is a non-malolactic effort they have been producing for thirty years. With the malolactic blocked, it is tighter-knit than the Belle Terre, offering hints of white citrus and quince, a steely character, and lots of minerality and crispness. The acids are slightly higher than those in the Belle Terre, but the Robert Young offers impressive levels of concentration and rich fruit. As the wine sits in the glass, a note of white peach also emerges. This cuvee will benefit from 1-2 years of bottle age, and should keep for 6-7 years. This winery produces some exceptional bargain-priced wines and consistently does an enviable job with Sauvignon Blanc, or as they call it, Fume Blanc. There has been a long legacy of top-notch Fume Blancs produced ever since veteran winemaker Richard Arrowood was fashioning the wines at Chateau St.-Jean in the 1970s. Chateau St. Jean produces four distinctive styles of Chardonnay. My favorites tend to vary with the vintage, and in 2007, the Belle Terre Vineyard came out on top. Tel. (707) 833-4134; Fax (707) 833-4200