2004 Chardonnay Accolades

90 POINTS: WINE SPECTATOR
Smoky marshmellow, fig and toasty oak aromas give this a big initial impression. Yet for all of its size and richness this holds together nicely, finishing with a rich aftertste of fruit and wood. Drink now through 2011. —J.L.

91 POINTS:  CONNOISSEURS' GUIDE 
Ripe and well-extracted with a strong sense of ripe apples as a counterpoint to its plentiful oak, this fleshy, yet firmly structured youngster shows fine continuity in the mouth and excellent length at the finish. It has a trace of eleventh-hour angularity to lose yet, but this is a Chardonnay that can take a bit of age, and a year or two of cellar time seen certain to bring it into near-classic form.

FOOD & WINE
BEST NEW CALIFORNIA CHARDONNAYS, BEST 18 BOTTLES, Ray Isle
A string of tiny vineyard parcels only a mile from the ocean—and anywhere from 1,200 to 1,700 feet above it—produced this vivid white. Its intense pear fruit gains complexity from hints of hazelnut and smoky lees.