Kalin's Chardonnays do not begin to open until they are four or five. For example, the 1981 Chardonnay Cuvee L has just been released. At twelve years of age, the wine is as fresh as a six-month old barrel sample. The crisp, mineral, apple blossom, buttery nose is followed by rich, vibrant, well-focused flavors that offer medium to full body, and excellent underlying acidity. Given the fact that this wine has evolved at a glacier pace, I would not be surprised to see it last for at least another decade.It would seem illogical that a full-time microbiologist, who is working part-time out of a warehouse in Novato, produces some of California's most profound and long-lived wines. But that is what winemaker Terry Leighton has achieved. Leighton's reference points are French wines, and he stands nearly alone in the Golden State when it comes to producing Chardonnays that require considerable cellaring. Most California Chardonnays drop their fruit by the time they are three years of age.
粵公網安備 44030502006249號