2008 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Sweeney Canyon

The 2008 continues the trend of rating all the older Sweeney Canyon Chardonnays higher than I did early in their lives. That’s an indication of great winemaking from a spectacular site. The age old argument of whether a Chardonnay improves in the bottle is answered positively by how the wines in this vertical have performed. The 2008 Chardonnay displays a French style with lots of white corn, white peach, honeysuckle, wet rock and spice characteristics. Tropical fruit notes appear on the palate, and there is enough acidity to support and delineate the wine’s superb richness. The alcohol came in at 15.3%, relatively modest by Brewer-Clifton standards. The 2008 should drink well for at least 8-10 more years.