Tastes too oaky for the underlying wine, which is pretty simple in peach and pear flavors. The oak adds a heavy plaster of caramel, vanilla and brown butter sauce. This problem has plagued the winery in recent vintages. ——S.H.(12/1/2008)—— 83

Barrel fermented in lots of new oak, this Chard is just too woody for comfort. It overwhelms with sweet, sappy char, caramel and vanilla, leaving little room for the underlying wine, which seems fine, to express itself. ——S.H.(11/1/2008)—— 82