2008 Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve Lewis Vineyard

Tonight John and Liz brought this along to dinner at Oliver-A Bistro in Bordentown, NJ, after acquiring this bottle on a recent trip to the Napa Valley. Although this wine is still relatively young, it sure showed nice, and just needs a bit of time for the oak to integrate in my opinion. With that said however, I do not think that this wine is over-oaked in the least, and it will definitely mellow out to my liking with another 6 months to a year in the bottle, but it surely is close right now! On the nose, this shows some nice crisp pear and nectarine qualities, with hints of caramel and oak. On the palate, this pear and apple really shine through, with hints of pineapple and a great creaminess to it. There are hints of buttery popcorn, which turns a lot of people off, but I don't think that it is offending in the least. One of the beauties of this wine is that it is so identifiable as a wine from Carneros. Upon first sniff, Zelda had a little smirk on her face and a sparkle in her eye, and upon first sip, she said, "That's Carneros." I looked at her in awe like I always do when she gets a wild hair like this, grabbed the bottle out of the ice bucket, and sure enough, this is a Carneros wine. I'e always said that she has a better nose and palate than I do, and once again, she proved this point. Could a guy ever be luckier? I don't think so! Not only is she gorgeous with the most amazing heart and soul, but she shares the same passion for wine that I do! How did we ever get so lucky to find each other so many years ago? The finish on this wine shows some nice acidity, and again this is just a pleaure to drink. Although this wine is drinking now, I would recommend holding these for another 6 months before re-visiting, and when that time comes, I think you'll be really happy with the results. All in all, a joy to drink, and worthy of 91 points. Cheers! -F. Scott.