It’s tough to improve on Gordon Brothers’ outstanding regular release of Chardonnay, a 90-point effort. All too often, the extra ripeness turns subtle nuances into thicker, less complex flavors. Barrel time adds butter and toast. So if you want a ripe, tropical, banana-and-peaches style of Chardonnay, with plenty of buttery oak, this will certainly do the trick. But somehow it seems less interesting than its cheaper sibling.——P.G.(3/1/2008)—— 86