Chardonnay

Golden green in color, clear and bright.  Great nose with lemon/lime and a slight chalk note.  Medium bodied with crisp acidity.  On the palate, this has some depth.  Grapefruit along with a touch of chalkiness.  Nice finish.  This drinks very easily on its own and works well with lighter foods, or seafood.  A nice wine with lobster.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

Beautiful sparkling wine from the north center of Italy.  It is a blend of 75% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Bianco, and 15% Pinot Nero.  Light golden in color with a steady stream of tiny bubbles.  The nose has red apples, minerals and slight toast.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a slight oxidative note along with apples and slight toast.  A nice backbone of acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own but will work well with a wide variety of food.  Everything from popcorn to fried, spicy chicken.  Long finish.  It will compete with everything in its price category from Champagne.

This wine has aged brilliantly.  Golden in color, slightly deeper, clear and bright.  The nose is great with vanilla, lemon crème, and a slight butterscotch note.  Full bodied.  Deep and complex.  Good balance.  On the palate, the vanilla and lemon are joined with some grapefruits.  Long finish.  Delicious.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

Always one of the best chardonnay's made anywhere!  This vintage is no exception.  Light golden in color with slight green hues.  The nose is classic Rhys:  Vanilla, lemon cream, and slight bakers spices.  Full bodied.  This was drinking well from the beginning.  The palate has lemon cream and vanilla with a touch of spice/oak.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This drinks great on its own and perfect with a Caprese salad.  In my experience, these drink well for a few years and then shut down a bit before re-emerging at age eight or so.  They drink well for another ten after that.  

This is apparently mostly from younger vines but it doesn't show in this excellent Chardonnay.  Green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with lemons, beeswax and baking spices.  Medium to full bodied.  Slightly viscous in the texture.  On the palate, lemons with a slight amount of oak.  A bit bitter on the finish.  Very refreshing.  Good acidity.  It will probably work better with food.  Drink over the next three to five years.  It will work nicely with lighter foods.  Vegetarian Thai food would be a good match.

This is a relatively new release.  It is an inexpensive ($14), easy to drink Chardonnay that is a great choice for parties and events.  Pale green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has hay, slight spice, slight grapefruit, and some green apple.  Medium bodied.  Low acidity.  On the palate, there is some minerality.  An interesting lanolin note, along with spice and slight butterscotch.  A bit more lime returns for the finish.  This is the kind of wine that works well with a diverse crowd.  It drinks well on its own.  Attractive packaging.  

Sonoma’s Alma de Cattleya wines have steadily proclaimed themselves and year after year, they turn out truly wonderful wines. The 2020 chardonnay is lively, light, delicate, hinting at fruit aroma but not coming right out and saying it. There is a simplicity to this, a subtle beauty. Yes there are the notes of lemon lime, guava, but it is more subdued creating an enjoyable drinking experience because it is not an overwrought wine.

An interesting tidbit from the American Vintner's Website"  "Miller and Lux went from small time New York butchers to the largest cattle owners in California, and one of the largest land holders in the United State in the late 1800’s.  At the height of their partnership, Miller and Lux boasted nearly 1.4 million acres of grazing land and one million head of cattle. They would come to be known as the “Cattle Kings of California”. Fast forward to current day, and much of the Miller and Lux land holdings is now the fertile ground of California’s Central Coast wine country."  

This is a very nice Chardonnay from Wente, a long time producer in California (founded in 1883).  This particular Chardonnay is grown from a single vineyard, Riva Ranch, in Arroyo Grande.  Yellow gold in color, clear and shimmering bright.  The nose is a bit chalky with grapefruit and slight baking spice.  With air, a bit of pineapple comes out.  It has a really nice voluptuous texture.  On the palate, more lemon chiffon with nice underlying minerality and some spice.  Moderate acidity.  Good finish.  This is tasty and drinks nicely on its own but will work well with all but the heaviest of