Ravenswood's Chardonnays are always controversial, and the 1991 is no exception. It is less flamboyant and concentrated as well as more tightly knit than the 1990. With coaxing the reluctant bouquet reveals scents of waxy fruit and earth (the latter characteristic is sure to offend the technocrats). The wine's richness and complexity are even more obvious in the mouth, where there is layer upon layer of flavor. The overall impression is one of tightness and restraint as the acidity is crisp, and the wine has yet to blossom and open. Do not be surprised to see it blossom with another 4-6 months of bottle age; it should last for 4-5 years. It is an impressively endowed, full-bodied Chardonnay clearly molded in a different style.

The 1990 Chardonnay from the Sangiacomo Vineyard is the finest Chardonnay winemaker Joel Peterson has ever produced. This explosively rich wine is profound, with tightly knit, powerful, concentrated, spicy, richly fruity flavors, zesty acidity, and whopping length. This super bottle of Chardonnay should prove to be uncommonly long-lived by California's standards. In a blind tasting, I would wager that most people would think it to be a grand cru from Burgundy's Cote d'Or.