(1999) The Carneros Chardonnay from Saintsbury has quite pronounced new oak on the nose, suggesting charred toast and coffee beans. There is also good pear and melon fruit which is quite reserved and elegant. On the palate the wine is chewy and quite densely-textured with lots of liquoricy oak flavours and alcohol giving a savoury character, but there is sufficient clean and ripe fruit flavour too. This is not a terribly flamboyant, tropical style, but leans more towards buttery, nutty flavours and pear and apple fruit. Quite long, this low-acid wine is a delicious but quite straight-forward Chardonnay.