2005 & 2008 Gundlach Bundschu Chardonnay

Gunlach Bundschu is one of my favorite wineries...for many reasons. One, their wine is fantastic, and two, the owner/farmer, Jim Bundschu, is very nice and knowledgeable and gave a great talk at the Wine Experience Cafe which I was lucky enough to attend. One of my favorite wines from that dinner was the chardonnay. We had the 08 at the dinner and I had a bottle of the 05 at home, so I'm going to compare them here.

First, both the 05 and 08 pour a beautiful pale golden wheat color. Skinny legs are plentiful on the swirl. The two vintages are the same color as far as I can tell. Both vintages are 100% chardonnay from the same two clones: the 30+ year-old Wente clone and the 2003 Robert Young clone (which made its debut in the 05 vintage).

On the nose:
First, the 2005...Lots of pineapple, especially the acidic notes of the pineapple, and a set of well-rounded spices hit the nose, more after the swirl than before the swirl.
Then the 2008...Sweet honeysuckle and tart apple smells hit the nose first, then after a good swirl I get a sweet vanilla note and just a few spices.
I liked the nose on the 08 version of this chardonnay a bit more because I love tart apple on the nose of California chard. Both are intriguing and complex enough on the nose to get you excited about the tastes to come.

Then on the palate:
2005: Sweet lemon on the tip of the tongue, a bit different than other chardonnay I've had. This is followed on the midpalate with tart apples and a touch of non-fruit sugar (almost like a touch of marshmallow). The finish is not terribly long but it is pretty acidic, like lemon surrounding sweet melon. I really like the sharp notes and easy to understand, but still complex, palate on this chard.
2008: Acid-forward lemon on the forepalate, immediately followed by the sweetness of a ripe pear. The midpalate also has minor notes of coffee beans and sweet melon. And then on the late midpalate and early finish there is the note that sets this chardonnay apart, brilliantly balanced minerality. It is distinctive but well-rounded into the palate! It tastes like how wet rocks smell in the rain, mixed with a touch of steel, brilliant! The finish is long and bright with alternating notes of minerality and acidity.
I like the palate on the 2008 better, mostly because of the creative minerality and the longer, tastier finish.

2005 Retail: $27
2005 Rating: 88
I thought the finish was a bit abrupt and the palate was lacking a little something, but it was a very very enjoyable chardonnay.

2008 Retail: $27
2008 Rating: 91
I love this chardonnay! This is a step away from my normal chardonnay preference (normally I love big oaky, buttery chards), but the steely minerality surprised me in a great way and set this chardonnay a step above most $20-30 bottles. Pairs great with shellfish or lightly seasoned fish. Definitely worth a try if you see it!