A couple of years ago, this wine wasn't especially rewarding; tight, unyielding, totally bound up. Yet the intensity of its fruit shone through a clasped structure, so I purchased a few bottles for later tasting.
It's quite different now. For a start, there are distinct flavour influences from time in bottle, mostly toast and crackly caramel in character. These ride atop juicier white peach and honeydew melon notes, themselves straddling vanilla cream. A precisely layered aroma profile. In the mouth, powerfully intense fruit flavours rush over the tongue with military precision -- despite relaxing enough to allow a fuller expression of its fruit, this wine remains a focused experience. Acidity is quite prominent but noticeably less assertive than on initial release. The after palate and finish are especially lovely, with a blanket of sweet fruit gently settling in the mouth, lingering on and on, then smoothly tapering away. Quite complex, shapely and elegant.
Without wanting to imply restraint, this wine is quite an intellectual experience that contains its sensuality within a precisely etched framework. I'm reminded that, sometimes, clothing is infinitely more sexy than full frontal nakedness.
Interesting. I only hopped onto the Jaluka Chardonnay from 2006, but it and the 2007 (perhaps a little more fruit forward) look like they are in the same mould as this 2005. And for a twenty if you look. Cheers jeremy
Twenty bucks is a bargain for a wine of this quality, my only caveat being that it's not exactly a crowd pleaser.