The Santa Cruz Mountains are the home to many of my favorite Chardonnays and this is definitely one of them. Light gold in color with some hay yellow swirls, clear and bright. The nose is big but lovely with lemon peel, slight lime, slight apples, vanilla, spice and char. Full bodied. Creamy texture countered with crisp acidity. On the palate, this is crisp, satisfying and delicious. Deep and complex, it unwinds with a bit of air in the glass. Flavors of lemon peel, slight vanilla, spice and char. Long finish. This is great on its own but better with food. This would work so well
This continues to be my favorite Chardonnay! It drinks great young and ages nicely. With just a kiss of vanilla showing, there is some oak but not enough to be an issue even for many of the most oak adverse drinkers. Light green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is great with lemon creme, a touch of vanilla, spice and slight char. Full bodied. Very light tannins. Great balance. On the palate, this is delicious. Great texture. Flavors of lemons, slight cooked apples, vanilla and spice. A bit of char on the long finish. This drinks great on its own and will work well with
Silvery/gold in color, slightly cloudy but still bright. The nose is nice with lemon cream and slight vanilla notes and just a hint of char. Enough acidity to carry the structure. On the palate, lemons, slight lemon cream with spice/oak. Good finish. This could use some more cellaring although it is drinking well now. Hold for a few years and patience will be rewarded (and the score will rise a couple of points). It is not overblown but a Chard for those who like a bit more round edges. It is lovely on its own and would work well with many foods including most seafoods. It would be
Founded in 1987, Argyle wanted to make sparkling wines that could hold their own with Champagne. Comprised of mainly Pinot Noir, there is 4% Chardonnay blended in with this 2019. What at first seems a mild sparkler, with notes of brioche bread, soft lemon and mild apricot, reveals a different side. The stone fruits and minerality come out mid palate and finish strong. Acidity is the real story here revealed with this wine, making this ideal with a variety of foods.
Bousquet has long been producing quality wines coming out of Argentina at enviable price points. This Chardonnay straddles that line between a linear reductive style and a more malolactic fermented, brighter style. It works. And that it takes these two worlds and combines them rather seamlessly. Yes, you get the upfront lemon, lime kefir, guava, apricot and white peach notes, but there is also that silky, smooth lightly buttery style that makes this an easy drinking wine. Additionally, the acidity is spot on providing support and structure for the whole of the wine.
12.5% abv. A 2024 Governor's Cup winner. Pale silvery/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is flinty with some oak/spice. With air a bit of citrus shows. Medium bodied. Slightly viscous/creamy texture. On the palate, lemons with some minerality. The midpalate had green apples. An interesting menthol note on the finish that turns chalky. Overall, a slightly oaked, crisp Chardonnay that is nice on its own and even better with food. It would work well with broiled or grilled scallops. Drink over the next five to eight years.
Some of the best Chardonnay for my tastes comes from Santa Cruz, California. The wines tend to be crisp but full and age quite well. A new one recently tried is the Shawn Walker McBride Maeve Vineyard. I am not sure why this carries that label as other varietal wines carry a Crosby Roamann designation as the producer with a very similar label. In any event this one is also very good. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has red apples with a touch of lemon and a nice minerality. Medium to full bodied. Good balance. On the palate, this is crisp with flavors or apples an
This was interesting. In a room with 7 blind tasters with plenty of experience, no one even guessed Chardonnay much less Burgundy. Personally, I was stumped. It was good, but I had no idea what it might be. Green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose has a nice minerality with a touch of quince. A very nice mouthfeel, slightly oily. On the palate, mostly minerals. Good finish. It drinks well on its own and would be better with some seafood or hearty vegetarian dishes. Drink over the next five years or so.
