WS: 95pts.
$35
My Score: 93-94

This is what chardonnay is supposed to taste like. It has large quantities of pear, peaches, fig, orange rind, and lemon on a truly elegant frame of integrated flint with just the right amount of acidity. This will drink well for 6 years. There is roughly 2100 cases of this stuff floating around, and I highly suggest you try this, if you like chards. I am going to predict that this will be a WS top 10 when they come out with the top 100 list at the end of the year.

IW

Life without wine?...... Yeah Right.<br /><br />I believe we have 2 lives; the life we learn with and the life we live with after that.

Thanks for the tip, IW. I just ordered four bottles from Carlo Russo's for $31.99 each.

Looking forward to trying it.

Cheers,

Otis

I am with italian wino on this one, banking this will be in the Top 10. Got two cases last week, one from Carl Russo's and another case locally.

---------------------------
www.winebid.com
2004 Whirlwind Tour

Opened a bottle of this last night at Cameron Mitchell's seafood restaurant, with some blackened red snapper and dirty rice.

While the nose on this wine is reticent at the moment, it is fantastic on the palate. Here is a chardonnay in impeccably proportionate balance. Deftly oaked, with creamy but supple texture. Full-bodied flavors of pears, toffee, vanilla bean, and apricots. The finish is smooth, long and satisfying. Delicious. 93P.

Cheers,

Otis

• 2002 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (3/27/2006)
  Opened this for my visiting German colleagues last night. While I thought it was a well-balanced creamy delight, they felt it was too oaky. A somewhat understandable reaction from off-dry riesling drinkers. At its peak, IMO. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Cheers,

Otis

quote:

Originally posted by otisabdul:
[LIST]

2002 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (3/27/2006)
Opened this for my visiting German colleagues last night. While I thought it was a well-balanced creamy delight, they felt it was too oaky. A somewhat understandable reaction from off-dry riesling drinkers. At its peak, IMO.

Otis

I think your riesling drinkers need to broaden their horizons a bit. This chard really is good. I have drunk it twice, 10/05 and 3/06. I found it to show nice somewhat undefined fruit perhaps apricot with rich cream that builds in richness ending in a huge long marshmallow finish. It has the fruit of a crisp fresh stainless chard but with all the creamy richness of the best big oak lactic acid chard. The best of both styles, almost preaches and cream.

The last time I had it just before the Kosta Brown Sonoma Coast Kanzeler Vinyard 2003 pinot and Paloma Spring Mt 2001 Merlot. I and most there seemed to find the 2002 Hobbs more interesting than the Paloma and right their with the Kosta Brown. I highly recommend this chard!

I've consumed three bottles of this over the past 6 weeks.

The first two were showing a bit of age (not quite oxidation), the third one was pristine and compelling.

I agree, it is time to consume these.

quote:

Originally posted by highdesertwine:
I've consumed three bottles of this over the past 6 weeks.

The first two were showing a bit of age (not quite oxidation), the third one was pristine and compelling.

I agree, it is time to consume these.

Wow, you consumed three in the last 6 weeks! The two total that I have had some of were both great. Both where from a climate controlled unit, but the second perhaps showed a little less fruit. Still, I would pay the list price for one if I could.

Bavinck:

Pinot Envy and myself discovered a stash at a local wineshop and bought them out. Thus, the three I bought I consumed over 6 weeks. Once the first seemed to be losing some vitality, I decided to go through them all quickly.

Thanks for the update on this wine. I will have to open one soon.

IW