2006 Walter Hansel Chardonnay Estate
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Tasting notes
Light yellow. Spicy, sharply focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors are straightforward, clean and very fresh. Lively lemon and orange flavors are light in body and restrained, slowly gaining flesh and picking up riper melon and peach qualities with air. Offers good flavor intensity but no excess weight, and finishes crisp and persistent.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2006 Chardonnay Walter Hansel Vineyard is a fleshier, more opulent, tropical fruit-scented wine than any of the 2005s. It offers more up-front fruit and seems to be a quicker-term drinker than any of the Chardonnays from the preceding vintage. It is a fleshy, fruit-dominated beauty. A terrific source of sensational Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays made very much in the style of the wines proprietor Stephen Hansel loves the most, white and red Burgundies, this 80-acre estate continues to build on a brilliant track record of high quality wines offered to consumers at sensationally fair prices. Previously recommended: 2005 Chardonnay Cahill Lane (92), 2005 Chardonnay Estate (91), 2005 Pinot Noir Cahill Lane (91), 2005 Pinot Noir The North Slope (92), 2005 Pinot Noir The South Slope (90). Tel. (707) 525-3614; Fax (707) 528-1310