Wine Notes > Chardonnay > Previous Releases

Ian's Reserve

2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996

Vertical Tasting Notes: 1996 to 2003

1996: the inaugural Ian's Reserve shows some age, with slight oxidation, nuttiness, caramel, but has great fruit and brightness still, with pear, biscuit and honey aspects; very well balanced, with great weight and texture; soft and emollient, very well balanced, it should stay on this plateau for some time.

1997: a lovely, bright, spicy set of aromatics, with balanced wood, fruit and spice; there are slight caramel and custard vanillin notes, yellow delicious apple flavors and a pure finish; for the second harvest from Stoller Vineyards a very nice, long-lived wine that can last a while longer.

1998: still one of my personal favorites, this is a rich, oily, beautifully ripe yellow chardonnay worthy of very long aging; on the palate there are honeyed, figgy, custardy, fleshy aspects; overall, there is perfect balance and no alcohol dominance, despite being heavily weighted and syrupy in texture. The only non-filtered white wine we've done. Will live much longer. Yum.

1999: sweet corn and butter aspects in a bright set of aromatics; caramel and a chartreuse thread on nose and palate make for an interesting, balanced wine; a little alcohol showing, but good balance overall, with good weight and length on palate. A rich wine.

2000: my least favorite, with slight oxidation, some woodiness and yellow flavors; there is decent acid and balance, but the fruit is shallower than in others in the flight, with a slight bitterness or flatness on the palate. Good, but needs drinking.

2001: nice, bright fruit, with spicy notes and a thin green thread for interest on the palate; caramel and brulee custard on the palate, with great balance and a long finish; good acid and pure, simple fruit; nice weight and finish; will last well, being a very solid, beautiful chardonnay.

2002: searing, bright white fruit with no oxidation and a light nimbleness on the palate; needs time; great balance, richness and silky texture; pear, lemon and toast characters; should be an exceptional wine worthy of long aging-again, a perfect cool climate vintage.

2003: fresh, light, lemony nose, with a youthful amount of SO2 showing now; floral, almost Riesling peach aromatics; weighty, broad and rich on the palate, with a slight leanness and heat waiting for bottle age to plump out and balance the wine. My favorite after 1998.