Quick Swirl: Sebastiani Chardonnay 2001 (PB)

This California Chardonnay was the first bottle of our evening for the Wall Street Journal's "Open That Bottle Night." (Read subsequent entry)

I sought out this wine as a recommended “best buy” from Wine Spectator and found it for $10. It even looks rich in the bottle causing me a second look to see if the bottle glass wasn’t tinted gold. It wasn’t, that is the color of this phenome. On the pour, pears leap out of the glass and there is a rich butteryness in the bouquet. Wow! In the mouth, the flavors are deep and balanced with pineapple lifesavers underneath, silky texture and vanilla highlights to finish it all off. No wonder this made Wine Spectators "Top 100" of 2004 coming in at #76 scoring an amazing 90!

I don’t think you will be able to find this anymore. I have two remaining in my cellar. Hint: Your best bet would be to search the big supermarket type stores where people grab indiscriminately off the shelf. You may very well find a bottle or two hiding in the back of the row of later vintages. Now, Raise a glass!