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Reviews

Score: 90 | December 1, 2013 | Wine Enthusiast
This single-vineyard wine is a showcase of ripeness—fruity and smooth with great plum and wild strawberry flavors. It’s intensely structured and dense on the palate, however, making it a wine for aging. Drink from 2016.
Score: 90 | December 1, 2013 | The Wine Advocate
In contrast, the 2011 Chardonnay No. 81 exhibits more wet stone, white peach, apricot and gravelly notes along with a steely backbone, good acidity and excellent freshness. This impressive, mineral-laced, linear-styled, impeccably made Chardonnay should drink well for 3-4 years.
Score: 90 | December 1, 2013 | The Wine Advocate
The Chardonnay O.F.S. is a cuvee that, in the days of Cecil Deloach, was one of the great Chardonnays of Northern California, and is now being resurrected by Jean-Charles Boisset, who owns this winery. The 2011 Chardonnay O.F.S. possesses more honeyed tropical fruit than its siblings as well as a richer, fuller taste profile. Good freshness and purity along with a judicious and discrete use of wood suggest it should drink nicely for 5-6 years.
Score: 90 | September 1, 2013 | Beverage Dynamics
Cherry, rhubarb and red plum flavors; balanced rich fruit, smooth texture.
Score: 90 | August 30, 2013 | Wine Spectator
Rich, with a core of melon, pear and apple, balanced and offset with crunchy star fruit and green almond notes. The finish bounces along. Drink now. 3,000 cases made. –JM
Score: 89-92 | June 11, 2013 | Burghound
Noticeable wood fights slightly with the otherwise fresh, cool and complex aromas of Granny Smith apples, pear, lavender, white flowers and hints of mineral reduction. There is excellent volume and an intense minerality to the relatively forward and lush broad-shouldered flavors that coat the palate with dry extract before culminating in a balanced and long finish. This is surprisingly approachable and not quite as complex as what I'm used to seeing with this wine. Perhaps it will add more depth than I foresee, but given how relatively forward this is I don't see that as especially likely.
Score: 88-91 | June 11, 2013 | Burghound
This is more aromatically complex with its attractively fresh nose of lemon, grapefruit and pear. There is a lovely sense of underlying tension to the mineral-inflected medium-bodied flavors that display good cut on the very clean, refreshing and saline finish. This is really quite pretty.
Score: 90 | May 1, 2013 | Wine Enthusiast
Editor's Choice. A terrific Chardonnay at a great price. The ripe orange, pineapple, tropical fruit and vanilla cream flavors are enriched with butter and oak. What's best of all is the acidity. It's so bright and zesty, it balances all the richness, making it worth repeated sips.
Score: 92-94 | January 14, 2013 | Burghound
Moderate wood influence frames the ripe and fresh nose that combines crushed red berries, earth, dried rose petal and subtle kirsch and spice hints. There is good power, size and weight to the medium weight plus flavors where once again the underlying tannins are relatively fine grained, all wrapped in a mouth coating, balanced and cool finish that delivers excellent persistence where the wood resurfaces. Note that this will also require 12 to 15 years of cellar time to arrive at its full potential.
Score: 92-94 | January 14, 2013 | Burghound
An admirably fresh, cool and airy mix of lavender, oak, red berries, cassis, spice, wet stone and discreet game nuances introduce rich, mouth coating and muscular broad-shouldered flavors that possess good delineation and excellent energy. The dusty, balanced and palate coating finish displays seriously good length as well as really lovely depth as well as bit less austerity than usual. A classic Bonnes Mares that should cellar well.