The 2006 Chardonnay is an intriguing wine with pretty, layered notes of ripe, honeyed fruit, flowers, minerals and sweet toasted oak. This rich, fully-flavored yet mid-weight Chardonnay offers notable balance and a long clean finish. The wine is already rather forward and while it doesn’t look to be built for long-term aging, it is drinking beautifully today. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2011.I was very impressed with the wines I tasted from Anselmet, a small estate located in the Valle d’Aosta, one of Italy’s most rugged regions. The high-end reds in particular are of note. Anselmet favors small French barrels for their top reds, but the wines have so much stuffing the oak is barely perceptible.Importer: Small Vineyards, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 933-6767