Martin Ray's "Angeline" Chardonnay

Last night I dreamt
You picked me up in your old brown truck.
We went down by the river's edge and stopped time;
Under a weeping willow
We said all those things that haven't been said,
And shared an ancient bottle of wine.

Oh, sorry. My thoughts consume me. On to the wine.

Martin Ray
Angeline
2004 Chardonnay

Would drink again.

I bring Kevin Zraly's book with me to work every day (if you read these posts then you must know by now who he is so I won't keep typing his book in), as well as my latest issue of "Wine Enthusiast", and read on my breaks and lunch and/or in the wonderful traffic I am constantly in (no Officer, I did not say I read in the car while driving - I really don't, that would be CRAZY. Seriously, I don't, Mom).

Anyway, today I was perusing Kevin's wine cellar recommendations as well as "Wine Enthusiast's Buying Guide" and I didn't take notes. Later I went to my local wine shop in search of actually, Australia's "Woop Woop" Chardonnay to have with dinner and, having not found it available, I bought "Angeline" remembering it from one of my readings earlier in the day. Unfortunately, I remembered slightly wrong. It was "Angeline" but it was the wrong vintage. The recommended vintage was 2005 and I bought 2004. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't the buttery, oak-filled, woodsey vanilla I typically long for in my Chardonnay. The finish was more bitter than I care for. It did however, go well with my roasted chicken and roasted sweet potatoes I made for dinner. I think the sweet potatoes cut the bitterness and vice versa.

Once I was home and dinner was in the oven, I looked through both publications to find the "Angeline" write-up in "Wine Enthusiast" and that's when I discovered I purchased the wrong vintage. I paid $12.99 for my bottle. The recommended 2005 bottle goes for approximately $14 per bottle and, according to the magazine, " . . . is a much better wine than the '04, showing all the hallmarks of a wonderful, long hangtime vintage." Although I did somewhat enjoy the 2004, I would very much like to compare it with the 2005 and hope to do so in the near future and report on it here.

7 out of 10

Russian River Valley
Martin Ray Winery (Please visit the March archives for Martin Ray's "Red")
Santa Rosa, California
$12.99