Today was a good #winewednesday, the wife had a 12 year vertical tasting of Les Pierres and was nice enough to think of me and bring home the 2000 vintage. Apparently it got a 2.7 average score on a 1-5 scale where 1 is the best, which is pretty good apparently, there were 11 tasters. Anyhow, who cares what the pros think, I’m here to tell you what I think, and that’s why you’re here right? No, I didn’t think so… Anyhow, without further ado.
Vintage 2000 Les Pierres, Appellation Sonoma Valley, Sonoma-Cutrer, Chardonnay. (quick side note, in 2000 The Russian River AVA didn’t exist, cool huh?) <–Corrected by my wife… I just did a quick check. The appellation was granted AVA status in 1983 and enlarged in 2005.[1] (wikipedia.com)
The Nose: Buttery oak and popcorn balls are followed by caramel apples, there is just the faintest hint of heat on this nose.
The Taste: Tart apples predominate this wine with a suggestion of citrus zest. I think there is some spice in there something in the neighborhood of nutmeg.
The Mouth Feel: This wine is super sexy, I’m reminded of the quote from “The Matrix Reloaded” when the Merilvingian is talking about cursing in French. If you don’t remember, he said something along the lines of “it’s like wiping your ass with silk…I love it” or something like that. Perhaps that isn’t the best visual for this mouth feel but it’s awesome, definitely the best character of this wine. Great viscosity and front to back, and side to side. The finish is long and keeps a reminder going for days, nice minerality.
The Color: I would imagine that most 10 year old whites would look something like apple cider, brownish and cloudy, this is bright and clean, beautiful solid yellow from core to edge.
The Nitty Gritty: Unfortunately I don’t have much besides ABV,
ABV 14.2% (seems high to me for a Chard)
Completed Malolactic in 1-year old French Oak
Sur-Lie Aged 14 Months in 3-year old Barrels
2005 Vintage Retails for $41 on Sonoma-Cutrer.com
Quick Google search you might find a magnum of the 2000 for around $70, not bad!
The Verdict: The great thing about this wine is that even though it has big oak on the nose, the taste is light on the oak. I have had quite a few vintages of Les Pierres now and this one, like the rest is really great. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up… (Bueller… Bueller..)
91 Pts, A-
Norcal Wingman 
FYI – It says Sonoma Valley because that is where the Les Pierres vineyard is, on Arnold Road across from the Shamrock Rock Quarry. It’s not in Russian River. The 2005 reads Sonoma Coast as the AVA because we wanted to be able to say Estate on the label and we couldn’t do that if we said Sonoma Valley. So, since both Russian River (where the winery is) and Sonoma Valley (where Les Pierres vineyard is) are in the Sonoma Coast AVA, we can say Estate. There’s your AVA lesson for the day!
Glad you liked the wine!!
Ah, always getting schooled by the wife 😉
Thanks Honey, you are a bounty of greatness. And not just because you bring me home good vino!
Me