1998 Silhouette
Varietals
100% Chardonnay
Appellation
Napa Valley
Alcohol
14.5% by volume
Flavor Profile
Silhouette is always an age-worthy white wine, and will gain complexity over the next 5-10 years.
- Vineyard Notes
100% from the Napa side of Carneros: 70% Merryvale Stanly Ranch Estate, 30% Hyde Vineyard
- From California Grapevine: "Medium-light golden yellow...
“… color; attractive, intense, buttery, toasty, spicy ripe pear and green apple aroma with overtone of vanilla; medium-full body; concentrated, complex, opulent, toasty, ripe apple and pear flavor with a layer of vanilla and a silky mouth feel; well structured; slightly tart, hard, oaky finish; lingering aftertaste. Should continue to develop with another year or two of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.” – Nick Ponomareff [92 POINTS]
- From California's Best Wines of 2000: The Wine News: "Silhouette listed #3...
“…(tied with Far Niente) in section re: California’s best Chardonnays of 2000 Appealing scents of tropical fruit and succulent pear, toasty oak and a yeasty note. Smooth, seamless and rich with delicious flavors of pear-peach-citrus and spice; lavish yet elegant.” – Steve Pitcher
- From Copley News Service: "... just goes to show that...
“… generalizations are not always appropriate in wine. The 1998 vintage produced a number of exceptional white wines, particularly from grapes that do better in cooler years. That runs contrary to the conventional wisdom, as does the mantra that California chardonnays are laden with too much oak.Many — perhaps even most — are saturated with oak, but there are a handful of wines produced from the best chardonnay fruit that can take the new oak and still make a balanced wine loaded with yummy fruit flavors. The Merryvale Silhouette is one of them. This is among the best California chardonnays from this vintage.” – Robert Whitley [Exceptional]
- From Most Compelling Wines: wineauthority.com: "From the barrel samples...
“… the 98 Silhouette Chardonnay, rich, complex, and beautifully” – Bob Cranston [Imperssive]