I was recently at a tasting where someone remarked that Stratus is a "chardonnay house" ... in my opinion nothing could be further from the truth, they are an Assemblage house that dabbles in Chardonnay - and here we find one of those dabblings. The nose is tropical, vanilla, with pineapple, peach and caramel apple most noticeable - aromas are all quite sweet. Palate is much more approachable: it's creamy smooth with vanilla cream-like nuances - but there's also good acidity to back it up: think more along the lines of lemon meringue. Almost California in style but with more acidity. Price: $55.00 - Rating: *** 1/2+