Tried these two older Calif Chards from Blair's collection ystrday:
1. Saintsbury Chard Reserve Carneros (13.5%) Saintsbury/Napa 1994: Deep gold/bronze color; rather nutty/butterscotchy/caramel/creme brulee quite smokey/toasty/Fr.oak no fruit slight sherried quite complex nose; strong oaky/toasty/smokey bit sherrid/some bitter strong butterscotchy/caramel/creme brulee bit toasted/oatmeal old White Burg quite complex no fruit quite complex flavor; very long bit nutty/sherried strong toasty/Fr.oak/caramel/butterscotchy smokey no fruit quite complex finish; not recognizable as Chard but an absolutely interesting complex old White. $23.80 (K)
__________________
2. Qupe Chard BienNacido Reserve Block 11/SantaMariaVlly (13.0%) Robert N.Lindquist/SantaMaria 2012: Med.gold color; rather smokey/toasty/Fr.oak/bit charred some melony/Chard/spicy some old WhiteBurg beautiful complex nose; lightly tart very strong toasty/smokey/oak/pungent some toasted/oatmeal/oldWhiteBurg some melony/ripe/Chard quite complex beautiful flavor w/ slight bitterness; very long/lingering toasty/nutty/Fr.oak/smokey some melony/Chard slightly oxidative quite complex finish; showing some age but in wonderful shape & still very much alive. $??
______________________________
More ditherfrackle from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Saintsbury: I was expecting this wine to be totally gone. It was not. It was not recognizable as a Chard but it stood on its own feet as an old White, showed little oxidation, and was quite complex/interesting for what it was & gave some real pleasure.
Tom