2020 Ron Rubin Winery Pam’s UN-Oaked California Chardonnay, Wine Review

This is an affordable, easy drinking white wine from California made win no oak (100% Stainless steel tanks). Silvery green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is clean with tropical fruits (Some pineapple). Slightly viscous though light bodied. Enough residual sugar to taste it but not overtly sweet. The palate has a "juicy-fruit gum" note along with tropical fruits (maybe some papaya). It drinks very nicely on its own and would work well with a fruit salad. Drink over the next year. This is one of those wines that will have some detractors, but for those looking for a refreshing white with a bit of sweetness, to sip on the back deck, this is a nice value. Served chilled.

Grade:

B+

Score:

Vintage:

2020

Current Price:

$14.00USD

Top Ten California Chardonnays - 2016

I tend to taste and drink a lot of wine over the course of a year. I am in a few tasting groups, sometimes the wines are consumed at various local wine store tastings and a number drunk with friends and family.

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2021 Ron Rubin Winery Pam's Unoaked Chardonnay, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage:

2021

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$14.00USD

Another solid effort from Ron Rubin Winery who specializes in unoaked varietal wines (Ron's wife prefers her wine unoaked). This is inexpensive and a great value. Golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is nice with Meyer Lemons, some grapefruit and a bit of minerality. Medium bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, the Meyer Lemons come thru with a slight touch of lemon-lime. Good finish. This drinks easily on its own and will work well with lighter foods. This would be nice with fried appetizers at a party or on the back deck. Drink over the next few years.

Napa Valley Chardonnay: Foods to Pair With, and Meals that Call for, Napa Chardonnay

Chardonnay—a chameleon of a grape. There are an especially large number of choices to be made in terms of winemaking when it comes to Chardonnay. It can be still or sparkling. It can be aged in oak or un-oaked, filtered or unfiltered, subject to malolactic fermentation or not. Even the type of oak used, or the decision to keep the wine in contact with dead yeast cells during the winemaking process affects the style of the final product. These factors (not to mention the concept of terroir) result in endless Chardonnay styles that can range from Burgundy’s crisp, austere, mineral-driven wines to Australia’s tropical fruit-packed, viscous style.

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Best Napa Chardonnay (For the Money)

IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts for their recommendation for the best Napa Chardonnay (for the money): California Chardonnay has entered a new golden era, and there are terrific, cooler climate examples available from all over the State. These great new Chards tend to be balanced, with minerality and strong acidity, as well as less obtrusive new oak than was the trademark of California Chardonnay even five years ago. Napa does not have a particularly cool climate, so the wines from this region tend to have more ripe, tropical fruit characteristics, and more richness, as well as more of a creamy mouth feel, thanks in large part to the new oak typically used for fermentation and aging. Nonetheless, for those who like the rich, tropical fruit style of Chardonnay, there are some great examples from Napa that are relative values. My top pick for the money is the Arnot-Roberts Watson Ranch Napa Valley Chardonnay, with the current release going for a relatively reasonable average of $35. Here I get more lemon and lemon cream than super-ripe tropical fruit, but with solid weight and creamy texture. Also quite good but considerably pricier, at about $50, is the Hestan Vineyards Chardonnay, made by sought after Napa winemaking consultant Mark Herold. - Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com

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2017 Sterling Vineyards 375 ml Aluminum Bottle Chardonnay, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage:

2017

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$7.00USD

This is mostly about the packaging although the wine is very nice as well. This comes in an aluminum bottle that holds 375ml of wine. The Chardonnay is designated as California. The top screws off but is a bit wider than a traditional screw top bottle. The Aluminum is interesting as it chilled down nicely but really needed a cold pack to stay cold. That said, this is a great format for taking wine to picnics and concerts (that allow it). No worries about broken glass. Easy to open and really could be consumed directly although we shared it in glasses. The wine itself is good. It ha

2020 Ron Rubin Winery Pam’s UN-Oaked California Chardonnay, Wine Review

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2021 Ron Rubin Winery Pam's Unoaked Chardonnay, USA, California, Wine Review

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Best Napa Chardonnay (For the Money)

2017 Sterling Vineyards 375 ml Aluminum Bottle Chardonnay, USA, California, Wine Review