Half of the 2007 Canoe Ridge Estate Chardonnay was fermented with native yeasts in 44% new French oak. It went through malolactic fermentation and was aged for 10 months sur lie. Medium straw-colored, on the nose it offers greater minerality and less tropical/fruity notes than the Indian Wells cuvee. On the palate it exhibits an elegant, more tightly wound personality with notes of butterscotch and baking spices emerging from this impeccably balanced effort. It will drink well over the next 5-6 years. Chateau Ste. Michelle continues to demonstrate that a winery can be large and quality-oriented at the same time. Their current collection is as good as or better than anything it has done in the past. Tel. (425) 415-3300; www.ste-michelle.com

This wine feels as if it needs another year in the bottle. Good flavors mine a rich vein of tropical fruits, but the new French oak (44%) still sticks out and the alcohol (14.4%) adds some burn to the back of the throat. You might wish to decant this, or run it through one of those wine aerators to smooth it out. ——P.G.(12/1/2009)—— 88