TN: '96 Sterling Chardonnay

[Van The Man]

Jason -

Agree. I would have loved a bottle of Champagne or a crisp sparkler. That would have worked well.

Randy -

Agree to an SB but I probably would have gravitated toward the Loire. A nice Pouilly Fume or Sancere would have been great here.

I used to buy quite a lot of CA SB and alas, I've gotten away from that as well. In fact, can't remember buying even a single bottle this past summer for personal. Instead, I bought whatever '96 Loire I could find remaining.

In general, I'm finding the California vintners are beginning to turn SB into Chard's little brother and for the life of me, I don't know why.....wait a sec, yes I do know why: Because the American Palate seems to prefer oak and they show this by way of how they spend their dollars. And I s'pose I have my own ideas about who and what is driving this. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

I do like the Duckhorn and I like the Cakebread SB and there are a few others I like, such as Rochioli, etc. But now for the other factor: they are not a particularly good value to me anymore when I can get a super wine from Sancere for $12 to $15. <shrug>

But you know something, I do entertain a good bit and I do, occassionally, have to buy these California wines for lack of choice and I do buy them. And when I can find one that's well balanced, they are good wines, if not too expensive....