Full Boat Central Coast Chardonnay 2005 Tasting Notes

I would think the latter in this case, because this is good wine. To start with reversed negatives, it is neither over-oaked, nor does it present too much residual sugar. The wine is a fine light straw in color, a good conductor of light. The nose gave me first a rich, ripe mandarin orange, with grapefruit, pineapple, some mineral flint and hibiscus. Getting these nose notes was not a simple matter, but I believe Chardonnay should not be a nosy wine. My second nosing, I must admit after drinking, gave me more spice, particularly vanilla (which I don't smell readily).

In the mouth the wine is full-bodied, yielding a good match between taste and actual feel. It has fullness without feeling buttery, though it shows a little autolytic toast. The fruit is lime, grapefruit, pineapple, and ripe apple, with a touch of orange peel. The flinty minerality from the nose remains; the floral notes are less evident in the mouth. The finish is clean, warm, and dry with a touch of pleasant bitter minerality and clean fruit.

The wine has a solidity, an overt presentation of vinous assets, I associate with both the positive and negative of California. In this case the bottom line is positive; this is not the kind of wine you write off by calling it “sassy” or “brash,” despite the fact that the title “Full Boat” is a slangy poker reference (to a full house: three of a kind and a pair). I'd never call the wine French, but if someone told me the winemaker studied in Burgundy for a year or two, I would take the statement in stride. This Chardonnay, though tasty and upfront, scores well on the maturity index, and reveals excellent balance in all respects.