Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay 2006
Shafer
This is a wine that offers layers of flamboyant flavors on an initial taste while more delicate layers emerge as the wine develops in the glass – aromas and flavors of honeysuckle, Fuji apple, apricot, and exotic flavors of the tropics. The underlying acidity is integrated with warm, toasty oak, and the whole package is tied up with a long, mouth-pleasing finish.
Wine Enthusiast
Several factors go into making this Chardonnay as extraordinary as it is. One is Carneros itself, which produces vibrant, crisp, fruit-filled grapes. Second is the Shafer approach of fermenting the wine in both stainless steel and oak barrels, giving a complexity of textures and brightnesses. The use of natural or wild yeasts may also contribute to complexity, while a firm decision against malolactic fermentation preserves vital acidity. The result is a compelling, layered wine whose tropical fruit, mineral, buttered toast and creme brulée flavors are in near-perfect harmony and balance.
Score: 94.
—Steve Heimoff,
August
01,
2008.
Wine Spectator
Rich and creamy, both in flavor and texture, bold and extracted, with fleshy fig, apricot and light nutmeg shadings. Yet for all its power it offers a sense of elegance and balance. Drink now through 2011. 6,500 cases made.
Score: 92.
—James Laube,
June
15,
2008.
Wine Advocate
The 2006 Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch (25% aged in steel barrels and the balance in wood) is an even larger cuvee of 6,300 cases. Medium to full-bodied with notes of honeyed pineapple, nectarine, and some spice, the wine exhibits good acidity, purity, and plenty of length. Drink it over the next several years.
Score: 90-92.
—Robert Parker,
December
2007.
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All sizes are 750mL unless otherwise noted.
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