The 2004 Chardonnay Rincon Vineyard (nearly 6,500 bottles produced) possesses complex aromas of buttered oranges, citrus, hazelnut, and tropical fruits. Medium to full-bodied and rich, with good buttressing acidity, this beauty reveals more oak than its siblings, but it is well-integrated. This cuvee should drink well for 3-4 years. Tel. (805) 489-0446

It’s a mystery how, in such a hot vintage, Talley produced this dry, minerally, almost austere Chardonnay. When everyone else was getting mangoes, this wine shows flint along with lime zest and kiwi. Yet the mark of Rincon Chard always has been a steely stoniness. The oak regime is big, but the wine handles it with aplomb. Best now through 2008.——S.H.(12/1/2006)—— 92