2009 Rosemary’s Vineyard Chardonnay

Steve Heimoff on Jun 10, 2011, Top 10 wines of the week.

92 Points. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Issue 196. The 2009 Chardonnay Rosemary's Vineyard flows across the palate with layers of vivid fruit, mint and rosemary. It is a beautiful, precise wine that impresses for its considerable elegance, finesse and multi-dimensional finish. This is a terrific effort from Brian Talley. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019.

90 Points. Connoisseur's Guide, Aug 2011. We are fans this wine’s sense of solidity, and we like its firm balance. We enjoy its nervy young fruit, its deft use of complementary oak and its lightly minerally accents. We wish, how-ever, that it were a little more outgoing and a tad less stiff. We have no doubts that it will unfold nicely with age, yet there is no getting around the fact that it is still a bit stingy and will need to expand and soften if it is to match the convincing charms of its cellarmate above.

94 Points. Wine Enthusiast Online. 10/1/2011. A brilliant Chardonnay, bone dry and crisp in acidity. Almost lean in citrus and mineral flavors, but on further inspection shows complex layers of toast, honeysuckle, peach and stone, with a deft touch of new oak. Feels weighty and important, and finishes wonderfully dry. — S.H.

93 Points. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar. Bright yellow-gold.  Intensely perfumed nose displays an array of fresh and dried orchard fruits, orange and white flowers.  A bracing mineral tone adds bite to the sappy orchard fruit and peach pit flavors.  Gains a fleshy quality on the back, finishing with tangy orange zest and spice qualities.