Wine of the Week

1988 Goosecross Chardonnay ($14) and 1988 Goosecross Chardonnay Estate Reserve ($18)-- These attractive Chardonnays exhibit similar wine making and grapes, but tried side by side, one gets an excellent example of the difference between short aging in oak and longer aging in contact with the lees (spent yeast cells). The less expensive wine has mild citrus and spice tones that are appealing, and delicate nuances of fruit and oak. The Estate Reserve, aged in barrels for nine months on the lees, has a delicate “lees contact” aroma, a faintly toasty quality, that adds to the delicate tropical fruit aroma. Both are engaging wines.