2002 Mission Hill Estate Chardonnay

[TheEngineer]

I cannot find this bottling anywhere except a their winery. In fact, it is not even listed on their website.....but I love this wine. You may remember that at my first tasting event last year with friends, the 2000 bottling took top honors....so whenever I'm in Kelona, I go and get a bottle (so many others to carry back..)

So the 2002, yup...not yet as nice as the 2000...perhaps it could use a bit more bottle time. Nice floral nose with bits of lemon and pear and a touch of toasted oak and butter. Nice mouth weight. So not the 2000 but not bad....should've picked up the 2001 as well..... I wonder why they do not advertise this bottling?

[wondersofwine]

Eng, perhaps they don't need to advertise it if they sell most of it at the winery (leaves out middle man, etc.)

[TheEngineer]

Yeahbut........ I can't get it!!! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/frown.gif[/img]

This bottling is not even particularly expensive ($29.99 CDN or about $26 USD). You are probably right....oh well...just gonna have to hire someone in that area so they can send the stuff to me.

[Innkeeper]

Is it the word "Estate" that makes a difference? Because we find Mission Hills Chardonnay all over the Maritimes and it even showed up in Maine before we left.

[TheEngineer]

Yes it is. The estate bottle is the only one of their chardonnay's in fact that I like. The rest are only okay to slightly better than that. They have the five vineyards, the SLC, and a few others that just don't measure up. Not sure entirely why. Their icewines and late harvests also are very nice.