2004 Frei Brothers, Chardonnay, Reserve, Russian River Valley, California, $20,

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White Wine Chardonnay from Frei Brothers Californian. Lasting on citrus fruit, with flavors of lemon curd and pale orange marmalade... integrated, holding together with enough intensity for grilled mahi mahi with lemon... More

80,000 cases. You'll find a crisp, fruity, buttery wine, with lemon curd, peach and barrel notes adding to the roasted cashews; 86/86.

Clearly a cool climate chardonnay. Fruit flavors are balanced by a pleasing minerality & the crisp a acidity & limited use of oak makes this a perfect accompaniment to food.

White Wine Chardonnay from Frei Brothers Californian. Lasting on citrus fruit, with flavors of lemon curd and pale orange marmalade... integrated, holding together with enough intensity for grilled mahi mahi with lemon...

The 2005 season was kicked off with what seemed like endless rain, which continued into June – two months later than usual. The bountiful spring rain allowed our Chardonnay vineyards to set a normal crop and then grow vigorously throughout the season. Cooler than normal temperatures in June, followed by normal warm afternoons and cool evenings through the remainder of the season led to a long hang time with very little heat stress on the fruit. Harvest progressed at a leisurely pace through October and wrapped up late, in mid-November. The long, mild ripening period resulted in excellent flavor development and concentration. The result of the 2005 harvest is a Chardonnay of great character and distinction.

We craft our Frei Brothers Reserve wines in a gentle, traditional style enhanced by the use of modern technology, which makes fruit the focus and showcases the best that each varietal and appellation have to offer. The Chardonnay grapes for our 2005 vintage were whole cluster pressed to eliminate bitterness and maximize fresh fruit characters. The wine was briefly cold settled and then racked before fermentation. 100% of this Chardonnay was barrel fermented and oak aged, and temperature was monitored not to exceed 65°F, to produce a slower, cooler fermentation that ensured an even, clean product. This process resulted in a generous and varietally true Chardonnay. To create a flavorful finish to the wine, the juice underwent sur lie aging for five months and 100% malolactic fermentation, resulting in a buttery texture and deep, layered flavors.

By Connoisseurs' Guide
Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines, Oct 06
Rated: 85
Although offering up a modicum of appley fruit, this vague and loosely defined wine is light in real concentration, and both its aromas and frontal flavors are colored by a confected, slightly candied note. It is a wine for the here and now and not one to set aside for further age.

An exceptionally stylish wine at this price, the Frei Brothers Chardonnay combines a gorgeous creamy toastiness with pure, fresh citric-laden Russian River Valley fruitiness. 91 Michael Apstein

Frei Brothers Reserve wines possess a fruit-forward character with intense aromas and flavors that reflect the land and climate that created the grapes. Our 2004 Chardonnay is big and intense with a soft mouthfeel and a long crisp finish. This medium-bodied Chardonnay expresses bright aromas and complex varietal characters of bright pear, peach and citrus fruit, and displays hints of vanilla and spice.