The light straw/greenish-hued, tight 1999 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard offers hints of caramel and spicy oak. The wine is medium-bodied, with good acidity. It is a monolithic, straightforward effort that is capable of aging, but may never display much complexity. As with many Au Bon Climat wines, there is plenty of structure, purity, and acidity. It is intentionally made with more intellectual than hedonistic appeal. Tel. (805) 937-9801

Respected vineyard source and established record of the winemaker notwithstanding, the dense gunpowder/matchstick quality here isn’t easy to take—or even read. It is stylized, and big (we can sense suppressed tropical fruit and earthy, mineral notes below the veneer). Hidden treasure…or just rough stuff?——W.E.(7/1/2001)—— 86