Gary Farrell
Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA
Enjoyed today with takeout from the #2 restaurant on the island (#1 was paired with the DuMOL Chloe 2015). I will definitely say that this wine is a little more full bodied and a little rounder than the DuMOL but it just didn't seem to be as dynamic. Enters with a lot of round character, but then goes to more of an acidic presentation as it goes to the mid-palate. Tart lemon creme brulee seems to be the number 1 note here. There is an herbal presence towards the finish. Even though this was last year's release, it still needs 2-3 years in bottle to really express itself. Still after about an hour it really did show more intensity and complexity and went well with redfish, crab, crawfish and calamari. Definitely better with food, whereas the 15 Chloe would have mopped the floor with or without anything. If you're going to drink this one now, you might as well just put this in a decanter for 2-3 hours beforehand. Or cellar through 2030, with the peak probably sometime in 2025.
Enjoyed today with takeout from the #2 restaurant on the island (#1 was paired with the DuMOL Chloe 2015). I will definitely say that this wine is a little more full bodied and a little rounder than the DuMOL but it just didn't seem to be as dynamic. Enters with a lot of round character, but then goes to more of an acidic presentation as it goes to the mid-palate. Tart lemon creme brulee seems to be the number 1 note here. There is an herbal presence towards the finish. Even though this was last year's release, it still needs 2-3 years in bottle to really express itself. Still after about an hour it really did show more intensity and complexity and went well with redfish, crab, crawfish and calamari. Definitely better with food, whereas the 15 Chloe would have mopped the floor with or without anything. If you're going to drink this one now, you might as well just put this in a decanter for 2-3 hours beforehand. Or cellar through 2030, with the peak probably sometime in 2025.
Oct 3rd, 2020