90 2006 Stolpman L'Avion Santa Ynez Valley 11/15/09 ($30)
90%Rousanne, 10% Viognier 14.9% alc
Color: Deep greenish-gold. Looks like extra virgin olive oil. (3.5) Bouquet: Honeysuckle, mineral and poached pear. (3.0) Body: Heavyweight that coats the mouth with high viscosity, concentrated fruit and some acidity. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but shows some bitterness. Somewhat overbearing at this early stage. (2.5) Finish: Parallels bouquet, but bigger, and less bitter than the flavor. More subtle, cedary oak lingers. (3.0)
Overall: Tasty, concentrated and unctuous stuff. It has some bitterness and could use more acidity to make all that size a little lighter on its feet. A good dose of cedar complements the honeysuckle and poached pear fruit. An interesting change of pace for lovers of big, extracted CA Chardonnays, but somewhat overdone for my taste. The bitterness also leaves me skeptical about its future. (15.5)
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