Cakebread Cellars, 2003 Chardonnay Napa Valley

Cakebread is a long time standard wine around our house. Some years are good and some not so good. This wine has a fairly unique style and is not to everyone’s taste. The flavor is apples and pears and very forward, nothing subtle here. This wine is what a friend of mine would call “chewy”; it doesn’t have that light California chardonnay feel. The wine is heavily oak’d and slightly acidic, it may balance out after a little more time in the bottle. The tasting note from the vineyards says it will age well over the next two years, I agree. If you are going to buy it plan on putting it down for a year or two, you will be rewarded.