Chardonnay

I am a big fan of the RM Chardonnays.  This is the "generic" non-single vineyard offering.  It might be a hair less than those others but it is also less expensive and an outstanding wine on its own.  Light gold with some green swirls, shimmering bright.  The nose is classic with lemons, vanilla, slight chalk and a hint of mint.  Full bodied but with cut.  Lots of energy.  On the palate, this is delicious right from the go.  Lemons, vanilla, slight spice with a long finish.  Great texture.  Young, of course, but this should easily do another ten years as it matures.  Might even get better. 

Although young, this wine is a beauty.  Kistler used to have a lot of oak on its Chardonnays.  Some loved it, some didn't, but this wine seems to have backed off a bit on the oak and upped the acidity.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has some pineapple, and lemons.  With air, a lemon candy note comes thru.  There is a fair amount of oak showing too coming thru as caramel and vanilla but it is already integrating.  Full bodied with a lovely viscous, oily texture.  On the palate, this is crisp with nice minerality.  The lemon/lemon candy comes thru.  Long finish.  This drinks ni

Another example of why Rhys is one of my favorite Chardonnay's from anywhere.  Light golden in color with slight green hues.  Clear and bright.  The nose is gorgeous with lemon curd, minerality, and vanilla.  Full bodied.  Solid acidity.  On the palate those flavors carry thru.  Lemon curd and vanilla with great minerality.  Just delicious.  The bottle is drained quickly.  Long finish.  These drink so beautifully young, they do shut down a bit after a few years and then re-open at around age 7 to 10 for another decade.  Great on their own, these work great with crisp or lighter foods.  

This is an excellent value in Napa Chardonnay.  Light golden in color with slight green hues.  The nose is pretty with lemons and grapefruits with a slight smoky char.  Medium bodied with a lovely, slightly oily, but creamy texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Just a  whisper of oak showing.  Nice minerality with underlying chalk.  Nice lemon/lime fruit with good acidity.  Solid finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue to do so for five to seven more years.  It drinks great on its own, but will work well with lighter food, but also salmon or shark.  

I tried this about six months ago, and this has really opened up nicely since then.  It is drinking great now.  A proprietary blend made from Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Muscat, and Vermentino from California.

The Prisoner Wine Company makes, ironically, a "Take No Prisoners" style of wine.  They are lush, big and delicious and make no apologies for their style.  And, why note,  millions of people love them.  This Chardonnay with a touch of Roussanne, and Gewürztraminer) is no exception.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is big with oak coming off as vanilla and crème brûlée, along with some lemon cream.  With air, some baked apple notes emerge.  Full bodied with light oak tannins.  On the palate, this has a lot of oak but enough acidity and fruit to give some balance.  Lots of vanill

This is my first time trying this producer.  It is a blend of 72% Roussanne, 24% Chardonnay, and 4% Viognier.  Opened and allowed to breathe for an hour prior to consuming.  Delicious.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose shows some toasty oak, roasted almonds, Lemon flan, and slight wax/vanilla.  Yet, for all those oak notes on the nose, it takes a back seat on the palate which has lemons, waxy lemons, and slight ginger notes.  It is a big wine, but not a fruit bomb, more of a presence.  Enough acidity to carry the fruit.  Long finish.  This is delicious on its own, but also worke

First time trying this vintage and it is awesome if still young.  I hate to call it elegant as that is not correct, but it is the kind of wine that fans of the "less is more" philosophy of wine will love.  Light silvery/gold in color, clear and bright with a lot of tiny bubbles.  The nose is great with green apples, minerality, slight lanolin and chalk.  But it is not big, just intense.  The palate is similar.  At first taste, it seemed to be missing something, but it has an energy and persistence that keeps building.  Intensity without volume.  The green apple and minerality carry thru to

Another great showing for this Chardonnay.  There is a deft use of oak that is noticeable here, but well done and well within reason.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with lemon curd, vanilla and hint of grapefruit.  With air a nice minerality emerges.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is still young but drinking well.  It improves in the glass showing lemon curd with slight vanilla and spice.  Nice balance and structure.  Long finish.  This seems like it should easily do another decade or more.  Great on its own, this will work well with duck, salmon or just a s