2006 Walter Hansel Chardonnay Cuvée Alyce
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Tasting notes
Bright, hazy gold. Deep, smoky and complex on the nose, offering a seductive bouquet of pear, dried apple, toasty lees and iodine and picking up peat and brioche nuances with air. Firm and sharply focused, with deep orchard fruit and tangerine flavors complemented by buttered toast and cured meat. Finishes on notes of lemon pith and dusty minerals, with outstanding persistence. An impressively balanced chardonnays with the complexity and personality of far more expensive examples.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The best cuvee I tasted of the 2006s is the 2006 Chardonnay Cuvee Alyce, a spectacular Chardonnay that possesses notes of buttered citrus, white currants, crushed rocks, honeysuckle, and tropical fruits. It is full-bodied, rich, deep, pure, and stunningly long and intense. This is a superb Chardonnay and the most opulent and fleshy of all these wines. A terrific source of sensational Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays made very much in the style of the wines proprietor Stephen Hansel loves the most, white and red Burgundies, this 80-acre estate continues to build on a brilliant track record of high quality wines offered to consumers at sensationally fair prices. Previously recommended: 2005 Chardonnay Cahill Lane (92), 2005 Chardonnay Estate (91), 2005 Pinot Noir Cahill Lane (91), 2005 Pinot Noir The North Slope (92), 2005 Pinot Noir The South Slope (90). Tel. (707) 525-3614; Fax (707) 528-1310