I have added nothing to my wine tasting pages for eight months. This wine compelled me to break that trend. This Koltz chardonnay was part of a fantastic birthday gift of six fine Australian and New Zealand wines from my father. Perhaps the best part of the gift was that he wrote a paragraph on each wine, quoting a professional's cellaring notes and adding his own. Here is what he wrote for the Koltz:

Chardonnay 1999, "Botin" Koltz Vineyards (Australia)

"'...fresh pineapple and and lime aromas with hints of oak. The palate is fine, long and elegant and has a crisp acid finish." My [Joshua's father's] Notes: Paired this with a fresh-water tilapia...and it was perfect. Winemaker: Ken Day who spends 1/2 the year in Italy and the other 1/2 in Australia. Combines the best of the "old world" with the young exciting Australian grapes.

Jennifer and I greatly enjoyed this chardonnay. The dominant flavors were the white of a lime and canned pineapple, with an engaging astringence that kept one re-focusing on the wine. Fresh and delicious. [January 2001]