Andrew Jefford: Bright pale gold. Beautifully subtle, creamy aromas: the enigmatic smile of a pale-skinned Renaissance princess. Impeccably clean, of course, but with enough aromatic detail to keep winding you back into the glass for sniff after sniff. Citrus, flowers, chilled cream, vanilla pod, peach skin: lovely but very subtle; just the right number of brush strokes to create the portrait, but not one too many. On the palate, this is no less beautiful: textured, layered, rich at the edges but fresh in the middle, amply fleshed yet full of poise, with the same flavory spectrum promised by the scents. Or perhaps a little more: A few of the banquet-like notes of the greatest Chardonnays of all (cut mushroom, a slice of pancetta) begin to become evident. There’s a long but always graceful, unassertive finish. Soft, natural acidity of fully ripe, cool-climate grapes. It’s vinous, as good Chardonnay always should be. A masterpiece of restraint: nothing underripe; nothing overripe. Bravo. To drink now and to age. 18.5

Jancis Robinson: Pale greenish gold. Very distinctively aromatic—almost as though there were a drop of some aromatic variety in there. Low acid and slightly sweet. Is there some of the Musqué Chardonnay clone in there? A bit disconcertingly soft. Good texture. Too soft. Drink 2011–12. 15.5

Anthony Rose: Pale in color, distinctly fresh and citrus-fruity on the nose, with a sweet hint of lead-pencil-like oak; very much in cool-climate vein, with underlying lemon and grapefruit notes; the palate is intense and richly concentrated, with a glossy textured quality and delicately smoky background of nutty oak. Very well-crafted, intense, cool-climate Chardonnay, with a satisfying richness of texture supported by good acidity. 18