From the cellar: (But, truthfully, it didn’t last long in the cellar.  I simply couldn’t resist.) This wine has never disappointed me.  It’s pricy, I only ever buy it marked down (so rarely, and only on jaunts south of the border), the connoisseurs tend to give it short shrift (I feel, like 90 points when it hits 92), but it drinks beautifully.  A lovely golden hue, Vouvray-ish, none of the cloying crassness of lesser California chards, dry but not sere, not too much of the metallic crispness that defines the uber-echelons (e.g., Montelena), and just enough fruit to make it both a satisfying sipper and food friendly.  Restrained oak that is a master class in barrel aging wines.  A few minutes out of the fridge brings out a gorgeous bouquet like a fruit orchard with a creamy top note.

Price: Don’t ask. (Oh, all right.  Around $40 USD in Washington.  A head spinning $75 in Vancouver.)

Market Liquidity: Like a freshly laundered starched white shirt.  Impeccable.