2008 CHARDONNAY - HOPE'S CUVÉE
95 POINTS - "A small production barrel selection from the estate vineyard, this fine wine is brilliantly rich and balanced, proving that Napa Valley can produce excellent Chardonnay. With pineapple, lemon, lime and buttered toast flavors, it's ultraclean in acidity and vibrant in minerals. While it's quite dry, it finishes with a rich flourish of honey." -Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast, June 2010
94 POINTS, TWO PUFFS - "Layer upon layer of rich crème brulee oakiness is underpinned by a wealth of optimally ripened, Gala apple fruit in the sweeping aromas of this show-stopping Chardonnay, and, while equally expressive once in the mouth, this wine is as noteworthy for its impeccable balance and structure as it is for it complexity and fruity depth. It is, in short, a tour de force bottling that will only grow better with age, and its only failing is that there is far too little of it made." - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine
2007 CHARDONNAY - HOPE'S CUVÉE
90+ POINTS - "The 2007 Hope's Cuvée is a tiny selection of the finest barrels that represents an homage to Ray Signorello's mother. Although tightly knit, it reveals plenty of orange and lemon blossom notes intermixed with hints of crushed rock and tropical fruit characteristics, abundant concentration, very good acidity, and a subtle touch of hazelnuts. More of a long-distance runner than the Vielles Vignes, it should last for 5-8 years." - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, Issue #186, December 2009
95 POINTS "Outstanding. Easily the best Signorello Chardonnay in many years, and a dramatic sign of the quality of the 2007 vintage. Shows intense tropical fruit, mineral and new oak aromas and flavors, with a rich array of dusty Asian spices. Just 72 cases were produced, but it's worth the search." - Wine Enthusiast, Steve Heimoff, February 2009
93 POINTS "A sensational offering, the 2007 Chardonnay Hope's Cuvée boasts abundant quantities of caramelized tropical fruits, brioche, and spice along with superb purity and texture, and a full-bodied, long finish. Rich, well-balanced, and impressively endowed, it should be enjoyed over the next 3-4 years." - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, Issue #180, 12-31-08
94 POINTS "Yellow-gold hue. Heady grilled pineapple, banana and new oak aromas. A fresh mix of lemon drop, pear and apricot flavors laced with toasted oak. Lush and full with a clove-like zing in the finish." - Wine News, May 2009
ONE PUFF, 90 POINTS "Ripe and rich, deep and perhaps a bit overdone in grain, honey and wax-like complexity along with spicy, almost clove-like notes, this wine keeps on the pathway to success by virtue of its supple, almost polished texture and its long, fairly lively aftertaste. It has youth on its side at present for a sense of vibrancy, and if given time in the cellar, should develop a rounded, fairly unctuous feel and even greater richness." - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, Therry Olken, February 2009
"The 2007 Hope's Cuvée Chardonnay, Estate, Napa Valley, was barrel fermented in French Oak, 50% completed malolactic fermentation, and the wine was sur lie aged for 10 months. Forty percent of the barrels were new oak. Aromas of forsythia, oak, lemon peel, and baked apple introduce flavors dominated by oak and lemon peel which finish with the oak, which adds a bitter note at the back." - Harold Baer, Colorado Wine News, January - March 2009 issue
2002 CHARDONNAY - HOPE'S CUVÉE
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93 POINTS "The acids are high, the oak is powerful and this densely structured wine is wrapped in a cloak of steel and mineral. It hasn't all come together yet. But the flavors are ripe and pure, straddling the linebetween tropical fruits and juicy apples, and this is one of those rare Chards that needs age. Best toward 2005, and will hold for several years afterward." - S.H. Wine Enthusiast Magazine, August 2004
2001 CHARDONNAY - HOPE'S CUVÉE
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91-93 POINTS "The top chardonnay cuvee, the Hope's Cuvée Unfiltered (named after Ray's late Mother), is produced from 22-yaer old vines and bottled with neither fining nor filtration. The 2001 is a rich, Burgundian-like effort revealing notes of citrus, minerals, honeysuckle, pears, and pineapples, along with good acidity, a coupled personality, and abundant length and fruit in its powerful finish. It should drink well for 5-7 years." - Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s The Wine Advocate 8-31-02, Issue 142
2000 CHARDONNAY - HOPE'S CUVÉE
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91 POINTS "There are two unfiltered 2000 Chardonnays from this fine winery which deserves more attention for the quality of its offerings. The bold, structured, rich , full-bodied 2000 Chardonnay Hope's Cuvèe's light gold color is followed by aromas of smoky nuts, minerals, and rich, ripe fruit. Fleshy, with good acidity, and additional layers of depth, this beauty will drink well for 5-6 years."- ROBERT M. PARKER, JR's The Wine advocate: 6-29-02, Issue 141
90 POINTS "Sporting all of the rich, slightly caramelized oak sweetness that is a hallmark of Signorello Chardonnays, this big, palate-coating wine shows a solid base of ripe apples and spiced oranges in its flavors despite the fact that it would be something of a reach to call the wine "fruity". Richness is its forte, and its fundamental fatness suggest that it be reserved for service with the likes of lobster or well-sauced salmon." - CONNOISSEURS' GUIDE to California Wine