Beaulieu Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay (half-bottle) 1999

Medium yellow-gold color. A very intense, minerally, almost Chablis-like perfume greets you on first smelling this wine, the ripe, green apple with pear aromas show a hint of oak-vanilla, but even more one notices the rich minerally taste from the long aging on the lees. The flavors are full-bodied, fleshy, yet balanced by finely judged acidity. Not as noticeably oaky as the 1998 wine, nor as "fat" as the 1997, this vintage shows a more balanced, complete character, with succulence balanced by restraint. A very expressive Carneros Chardonnay that should show well for up to three years, and a great wine to serve with richer dishes.