The colour is so golden that when I was looking for it on the rack, I mistook it for a red as I couldn't see through it and spent another 5 minutes wondering where the hell it had gone to. I had a '96 as well but thought I would try this one first.

The colour was very, very golden. The taste was very smooth, oaky as you can imagine and full. I thought it might have been a bit more oppulent but I did rush chill it in the freezer, which is why I only gave it 4.5. I will see how the other bottle goes in the future. The Montes Alpha chardonnay was better than this one.

** I had another bottle when it was 13 years old. It actually reminded me of the complex Chateau Musar white.