Landmark Vineyards Overlook Chardonnay Sonoma County 2013: Re-taste of August evaluation confirms my earlier positive review. The gold-yellow color is more beautiful than I described in August;
lemon, sage, honeysuckle nose; pear, caught more lemon than first taste, apricot, apple, restrained French oak, good acidity on the palate. Although it sells for MSRP $25, this is the entry-level in Landmark’s repertoire; it is delicious, just about everything you could want or love about an affordable, well-made chardonnay (I hesitate to call an effort as refined as this a “chard”). If more chardonnays achieved this level grace and charm, the ABC—Anything But Chardonnay—club would have to disband for lack of mission. Robert Parker calls this “an amazing value.” He is correct. This also is a consistent member of Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines annual list. For holiday feasts, this will pair well with pork tenderloin, roasted poultry, grilled salmon, also with Asian food and creamy pasta dishes. Widely available, sometimes at discounted price, many reasons to give it a whirl. $18-25
Second photo: Landmark Vineyards
