2001 Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay
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Tasting notes
Lemon-yellow color. Exotic nose combines pineapple, banana, roasted nuts and caramel; showing more oak than the other 2001 chardonnays. Sweet, lush and superconcentrated, with candied pineapple and papaya flavors. Powerful but just this side of heavy. A flamboyant chardonnay with plenty of minerally soil character to go with its exotic fruits. Additional Recommended California Wines
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The full-bodied 2001 Chardonnay Heintz Vineyard, which was not racked until it was assembled in tank for bottling, boasts great texture along with a striking perfume of subtle smoke, leesy hazelnuts, and lemon rind. A massive finish displays tremendous purity, definition, and intensity. About one-third new oak is utilized for this cuvee. The 2001 tops the scales at 15.3% alcohol. As hard as it may be for the Euro-centrist and anti-California readers (I hope there are not many of them) to believe, This vintage tastes like a great Montrachet, with an incredible liquid minerality as well as enormous body and richness. All things considered, 2001 and 2002 are the finest back-to-back vintages I have tasted from Williams-Selyem. Tel. (707) 433-6425; Fax (707) 433-6546
About the producer
Williams Selyem is an iconic Russian River Valley winery best known for its Pinot Noir. Producing restrained yet classically Californian expressions of the heartbreak grape (as well as a host of other wines), the property has gone from pioneer to one of the region’s standard-bearers.