"Odedi"

9.2

#AgedWineTuesday

Golden in color.

Strong nose of citrus, yellow apples, light pineapples, spices, light cedar, earth, herbs and white pepper.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with limes, light grapefruits, spices, light oak, earth and herbs.

Long finish with limes and almonds.

This delicious 10 years old Chardonnay from Napa Valley is still drinking beautifully. Very complex, elegant and nicely balanced.

Still showing enough fruits to balance the earth notes. Nicely aged, and will not get better from this point on.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 20 minutes of airtime.

It's always nice to try these kind of aged wines. Good by itself as a sipping and with food.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged in (34% new) French Oak barrels for 8 months.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$75. — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.7

Supple complex oily and delicious in the nose. In the glass this is getting more expensive: pear, limestone, white pepper. Restrained but super classy and complex. Amazing stuff! — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Clean and fresh and mineral. Hints of pears and soft citrus. Long — 3 months ago

with Gregg

Alvaro Bustillos

9.4

Omakase lalo — 3 months ago

Mary H

9.2

Few bubbles in the glass. Bruised golden apple, golden pear, slightly reductive / sherry-like. Reminded me a lot of the Peter Lauer 1987 Riesling sekt, but with fewer bubbles. An interesting but not crowd-pleasing Champagne. @ Persona, Stockholm — 3 months ago

Conrad Green

9.2

Golden in color. Soft with apricot and peach. Unlike most Rav this is like aged spatlese. Delicate with tea etc. Pretty — 5 months ago

with Walker and David

Norman

9.4

We called this as being mellowed with time versus muted. The flavors were great but lacked acidity sharpness. Mom said she was a big fan of this. Very enjoyable with the standard flavors but not as intense. — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2008 vintage. Yeah, some wackoid(s) gave this 100 points. Whatevs. Arrived at 70-72 degrees. Zero chill. Immediately plunged into an ice bath. Used a Durand to open but the über-dry cork just laughed at it and decided to pixelate into small, broken safety glass-styled fragments. Not the sign I was looking for. Here comes the funnel + screen + decanter to save the day. That screen needs a raise come review time. Put the decanter atop the ice bath with a protective serviette between and gave it another 5-6 mins in the chill. Color not quite yellow Chartreuse but pretty close. Tasted at approx 58-59 degrees. Like a trip to the confectionery + bakery. Whoa! Medium/medium-heavy body and this was popping. Splashes and suggestions of fruits, bread products and baking spices without an overriding, final boss. Phenomenal. Can’t give it a Wilt but it did not suck and should drink as such for at least another half-decade. Have had plenty of Marcassin whites and reds and this was the best of the lot. Transcendent. For all that…? 9.6. Soviet…er…Russian judge mode deployed. 3.6.25. — 6 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

NV | the Sunday breakfast sparkling with scrambled eggs — 7 months ago

Kristen Grimes

9.5

A little floral, a little mineral on the nose. High acid, lemon zest, lingering chalky minerals. Light and lean. Get to Know Chardonnay Class. — 5 years ago

Sam Rubin

9.6

Crisp almost portyyyy — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium light lemon yellow , touch of green . Quite a lot of struck match , quite young and reductive on the nose . Some ripe lemon hints , smoky yellow fruits , peach , apricot and honeysuckle. On the palate this is quite intense and structured with the citrus and yellow fruits mixed with a chalky notes . This has good length and extract and refreshing acidity with creamy mouthfeel , after a while becoming even more mineral and fresh with an intense finish. Showing pretty young still , needs a bit of time to wake up but lots of potential . Even better in 5 years or so and will last well a further 5 - 10 . — 2 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Magnum en maximo mex vs ecua — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90min. The 2024 “White Hill” pours a pale straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with bright notes of star fruit, passion fruit, stone fruits, lemons, a touch of freshly struck matchstick, some white flowers and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and slightly saline. I love the character of these wines. Really tasty stuff. Drink now through 2034+. — 3 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.6

Primera cena troigss — 3 months ago

Slestyan

9.0

Butter, oak, lime? — 5 months ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.2

v20. Very good! Bread and soft citrus zest nose. Fresh pear and lime fruit. Long, dry, bright yeasty finish. Small, firm lasting bubbles. Enjoyable! — 5 months ago

Zach D

9.0

Delicate notes of citrus lemon, white peach, underripe apricot, white pepper, and a slight grassy undertone. Palate with more ripe apricot, saline, and juicy acidity. Finish is medium at best; definitely a nice warm weather wine, chilled. — 6 months ago

Andrew McIntyre

9.3

Always good. A fresh and fruity crowd pleaser. — 7 months ago

Sean Townley

9.5

No idea how old this is (QR code on back gives a 404) but it’s fantastic — 8 months ago

with Mairead

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Chateau Montelena — Chardonnay 2023
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
Released as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the historic 1976 Judgment of Paris, this vintage continues the legacy that forever changed the perception of California wine. Crafted in Montelena’s unmistakable style, it favors precision, freshness, and restraint over richness, proving Napa Chardonnay can be both powerful and elegant.

Aromas & Flavors
Lemon curd, baked pear, crisp apple, citrus blossom, and subtle white peach are beautifully intertwined with delicate hints of wet stone, light vanilla, and restrained oak.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and exceptional balance. Rich enough to satisfy yet remarkably focused, the palate delivers silky texture, impressive tension, and a long, refined finish that never feels heavy.

Food Pairings
Lobster, scallops, roasted chicken, creamy risotto, grilled halibut, or triple-cream Brie.

Verdict
A benchmark New World Chardonnay that continues to set the standard nearly five decades after its historic triumph. Complex, poised, and beautifully balanced, it is a wine that appeals equally to classic California Chardonnay lovers and those who typically favor more restrained Old World expressions.

Did You Know?
The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won the white wine category at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, defeating France’s finest Burgundies in a blind tasting and forever changing the reputation of California wine on the world stage. The 2023 vintage celebrates the 50th anniversary of that landmark event.

🍷 Personal Pick
I’m generally selective with Napa Chardonnay, often preferring leaner, mineral-driven styles. Chateau Montelena remains one of my rare exceptions. It captures the generosity of Napa’s sunshine while preserving freshness, finesse, and impeccable balance. This is a permanent fixture in my cellar and one of the few New World Chardonnays I’d confidently pour for someone who believes they don’t enjoy Napa Chardonnay. — 2 months ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

This is a pleasant stunner of citrus zest and tart apple. Whoa! Note to self: 12 is not sufficient supply. — 2 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.7

Primera cena troigoss — 3 months ago

Conrad Green

9.5

Nutty and toasty on the nose. Plush and expansive in the palate. Great acidity — 3 months ago

Stephen Fitzpatrick

8.9

2023 vintage. Crisp apricot and pear aromas on the nose, light oak taste on the palette, decent finish. Great afternoon wine with cheese, salami, and hummus. — 4 months ago

Ed Chin

9.0

Refreshing and good mouthfeel, it was lacking in depth, length and on the simple side. — 5 months ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.3

Great as always. — 6 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Been a minute since I’ve had Ruinart. Especially, a Blanc de blanc. From 375ml.

The mouthfeel, rich with soft mousse. Slightly bruised golden apple, touch of apple cider, yellow pear, ripe-juicy yellow peach, juicy pineapple, tropical melons, green caramel apple, brioche-baguette crust, frothy cream, soft, white spice, vanilla-vanillin, saline-sea spray, dry, volcanic minerals, dry limestone marl, crumbled-dry chalk, yellow flowers framed in white, spring flowers in greens, pleasant, soft acidity and well balanced, mid toned/structured, elegant finish that lasts nearly a minute and long sets on beautiful minerality. 91+

The top left cave picture tells you why no other region can replicate that kind/much chalkiness in wine. The roots swim it. For me, there is no real substitute. — 6 months ago

Christian Fischer

9.1

Xmas day and my mother in law likes champagne with cooking. What’s not to like about that :) — 9 months ago

Ted Mandes

9.9

This was the start of a grand evening. With Maggie and Gerard and Mark and Sherri and Cindy. Two bottles at Gerard's most wonderful Cave — 9 years ago

with Cindy