By the standards of most Kalin Chardonnays (frequently forbiddingly tight and restrained when released), the 1991 Chardonnay Cuvee LR is soft, open, expressive, and already a treat to consume. The nose offers ripe, citrusy scents intertwined with those of tangerines and subtle oak. Beautifully integrated acidity, full body, superb concentration, and a well-knit, well-balanced personality make for a generous mouthful of complex, even compelling Chardonnay. I am pleasantly shocked by how flattering this wine is showing, given the bottle aging most Kalin wines require. If wine complexity, defined in its simplest terms, is the magnetic attraction that holds and pulls a taster back for another glass, then this wine may merit an even high score! Drink it over the next 4-5 years. Tel. (510) 883-3543

Kalin's Chardonnays do not begin to open until they are four or five. For example, the 1981 Chardonnay Cuvee L has just been released. At twelve years of age, the wine is as fresh as a six-month old barrel sample. The crisp, mineral, apple blossom, buttery nose is followed by rich, vibrant, well-focused flavors that offer medium to full body, and excellent underlying acidity. Given the fact that this wine has evolved at a glacier pace, I would not be surprised to see it last for at least another decade.It would seem illogical that a full-time microbiologist, who is working part-time out of a warehouse in Novato, produces some of California's most profound and long-lived wines. But that is what winemaker Terry Leighton has achieved. Leighton's reference points are French wines, and he stands nearly alone in the Golden State when it comes to producing Chardonnays that require considerable cellaring. Most California Chardonnays drop their fruit by the time they are three years of age.