California

• Amador County
  • Shenandoah Valley
• Carmel Valley
• Carneros
• Central Coast
  • Edna Valley
  • Mt. Harlan
  • Paso Robles
• Contra Costa County
• El Dorado County
• Lake County
• Lodi
• Mendocino
  • Anderson Valley
  • Yorkville Highlands
• Monterey
• Napa Valley
  • Atlas Peak
  • Best of Napa
  • Calistoga
  • Conn Valley
  • Diamond Mountain
  • Howell Mountain
  • Mt. Veeder
  • Oak Knoll
  • Oakville
  • Pope Valley
  • Rutherford
  • Spring Mountain
  • St. Helena
  • Stags Leap
  • Yountville
• North Coast
• Santa Barbara
  • Santa Lucia Highlands
  • Santa Rita Hills
  • Santa Ynez Valley
• Santa Cruz
• Santa Maria Valley
• Sierra Foothills
• Sonoma County
  • Alexander Valley
  • Bennett Valley
  • Best of Sonoma
  • Dry Creek Valley
  • Fort Ross/Seaview
  • Moon Mountain
  • Pine Mountain - Cloverdale Peak
  • Russian River Valley
  • Sonoma Coast
  • Sonoma Mountain
  • Sonoma Valley
  • Knights Valley

Interesting Trivia bit - The original owners of Lanmark were descendants of John Deere of Tractor fame.  Overlook was the name of John Deere's home in Illinois.  The wine is sourced from various locations around Sonoma County.  This is an outstanding value in Chardonnay.  They produce quite a bit of it yet manage to be very consistent from vintage to vintage and bottle to bottle.  It barrel fermented and spends 25% in new French oak.  The lees are stirred every two weeks as it goes thru full malolactic fermentation.  It is green/gold in color.  The nose is very nice with vanilla and peaches

I have had a fair amount of wine from this producer over the years with various results for my tastes.  Sometimes, the wines carry too much oak and others they are amazing.  No doubt, some of the difference is due to the fruit and some the vintage.  And tastes vary.  This one straddles the line for me and goes right up to the edge but doesn't cross that line.  For those who have issues with obvious oak this might cross that line.  Medium golden in color.  The nose has vanilla, lemon, fresh cut lumber and spice.  On the palate, the vanilla and lumber come thru along with a delightful sour le

This is a new winery for me to try.  Golden in color.  The nose shows vanilla with peaches.  On the palate, this is medium bodied.  Some peach and grapefruit.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Overall, a very pleasant Chardonnay.  It drinks well on its own now and will work with lighter fare.  Drink this over the next five to seven years.  

Shafer is one of the stalwarts of the Napa valley and this wine seems like it has been one of the top Chards forever as well.  It has always had a fair amount of oak showing and this one seemed no exception.  In the past, many had way more oak, but now, this tends to show more oak than most as time have changed.  Whether this is good or bad is different for every taster/drinker.  Copper/gold in color.  The nose has vanilla, baking spices, orange peel and slight lemon.  On the palate, this has a nice oily texture.  Plenty of depth.  Notes of ginger with a bit or lemon peel and spice.  With a

Copper/golden in color.  The nose shows a fair amount of grapefruit but also some spice/oak.  On the palate, this has a very nice texture.  Notes of lemon peel and slight peach.  Good finish.  Tasted blind, it was easy to guess Napa Chardonnay.  This is drinking well now and should be for the next five to seven years.  Nice on its own or with some cheeses it may over power lighter foods but will work with heavier fish dishes or pasta with a cream sauce.  

A classic Napa Chardonnay.  This drank a lot better for my tastes on night 2.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with vanilla and lemons.  On the palate, this is drinking young but nice.  It seems like the oak has been scaled back over the least decade.  Lots of vanilla cream with some peach and some lemon.  Enough acidity to keep things lively.  Full bodied.  Goof finish.  The drinks great on its own but works great with soft cheeses.  A nice match for roasted fowl.  Drink now or over the next seven to ten years.  

This is starting to show some age.  For me, that is a great thing, but others mileage may vary.  There is also a fair amount of oak present, so oakaphobes, be warned.  Green/golden in color.  The nose has lots of fresh cut timber, some spice, grapefruit and lemon cream.  On the palate, this is full bodied.  Lush texture but enough cut to keep it lively.  Lots of lemons and lemon peel.  Long finish.  This showed better on night 2 with a bit more air to round things out.  It is drinking well now and should conitnue to drink well for another seven to ten years depending how you like older wine

This was the winner of a recent tasting of California Chardonnays.  Very impressive showing and much better than expected.  I have always like their reds, but I believe this was the first Chardonnay I have tried from them.  Green gold in color.  The nose is really interesting with ginger ale notes along with nice minerality and slight pears.  On the palate, this is clean with great minerality.  Just a slight kiss of vanilla.  Deep with a nice complexity.  This didn't change much over night two.  It should make great drinking over the next five to seven years but likely longer if well stored

This is a middle of the road example of today's Napa Chard.  Pale golden in color.  The nose is dusty with spice and lemon cream.  On the palate, the lemon cream comes thru.  Just a touch of oak showing.  Very nice acidity.  An underlying minerality.  Nice finish.  This is young of course, but drinking very well.  It should drink well for the next eight to ten years.  A nice drink on its own and will  work well with lighter foods.  

Another quality wine from Jamie Kutch.  For the quality, this is a very good value.  Obviously very young, this showed better on day 2 although it was outstanding right on opening.  Green gold in color.  The nose has slight vanilla and lemons.  A bit of baking spices.  On the palate, this has a lemonade quality on day 1 and comes off as slightly sweet.  It all comes more into focus with air on day 2 showing dry with more depth.  Lemons and minerals.  A lovely texture.  Long finish.  This will need some time until peak, say three to five years and then should drink well for another ten to tw