Chardonnay

The wine

This bottle was corked. A noticeable musty character muted the fruit and freshness, so the 81-point score needs a qualification: it reflects the wine’s apparent underlying quality, not a completely clean example. The flaw belongs to this tasting, and it limits how confidently the rest of the glass can be judged.

There is still recognizable Chardonnay underneath it. Ripe pear and yellow apple sit alongside pineapple and lemon, a fruit-forward combination rather than an oaky or buttery one. The palate is soft and rounded, with mild fruit sweetness and a slightly creamy texture. Enough body and acidity remain to keep that sweetness from becoming cloying. Those qualities make the wine pleasant beneath the mustiness, without making the flaw disappear.

The finish moves toward citrus with a faint mineral edge, then ends a little sooner than one might want. Its clean citrus character should not be confused with a clean bill of health for the bottle: the musty note has already taken away some of the freshness that would give the fruit more definition.

The appeal is the rounded, gently sweet Chardonnay profile. The reservation is not just the short finish, but the condition of this particular bottle. A clean example is needed before that underlying promise can be assessed without the same caveat.