Chardonnay

In the world of Chablis, there are some exceptional producers but only a couple of those are "affordable".  Sebastian Dampt is one of them and that is especially true of the 1er Crus.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has green apples, slight grapefruits, slight gunpowder and spice.  Full bodied.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, this is still a bit tight but opens quickly in the glass.  Green apples, grapefruits and slight char.  Long finish.  Delicious on its own, this is even better with food.  Of course, oysters would work very well, but so does a fruit salad.  Drink

The Small Lot expressions of Cuvaison (wine typically under 200 cases and a focused identity) have become some of the most exciting and anticipated wines coming out of California. This latest Chardonnay expresses both traditional and non-traditional Chardonnay notes. Typical would be citrus, lemon lime, white peach and guava. Untypical shows kumquat, amber resin, a slight sour green apple and an even slighter butter rum hard candy.

One of my favorite chardonnays.  Golden in color.  There is some oak on the wine but it is well done and mostly integrated on release.  After a couple of years in the cellar, it drinks amazingly.  The oak presents itself as a vanilla note which works well with the lemon cream and slight citrus of the Chardonnay.  Almost seamless texture.  Long finish.  Delicious on its own and a great match with swordfish or salmon.

My first time trying "The Cutrer".  It is a bit rounder than the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.  It just depends on style preferences as to which one you might prefer.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apples, some butter, baking spices and a touch of nuttiness.  Full bodied.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, apples and baked apples with some baking spices.  Good finish.  This is very nice on its own but struggled a bit with a vegetarian lasagna.  That said, on its own it is very accessible and also has some depth.  Drink over the next five years.  

Screw capped.  Light golden in color with a slight greenish hue, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with apples, a slight nutty note, and baking spices.  Perfect for autumn.  Medium to full bodied.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, apples with some oak notes.  Persistent finish.  This is a really enjoyable Chardonnay that works well on its own but is crisp enough to work nicely with food.  It went well with a variety of cheeses.  For the "oak adverse", give it a couple of years or a nice decant, but otherwise, this should drink well for five to seven years.  

Sonoma County is often overlooked in favor of Napa, but Alma de Cattleya wines, all from within Sonoma’s borders, is something of a love letter to what Sonoma can produce. Winemaker Bibiana Gonzales Rave has created wines that support and showcase Sonoma using various vineyard sites throughout the county. Her 2022 Chardonnay is a great example. Chardonnay pulled from cooler sites offers green apple, lemon-lime, resin, light, peach and pear, quince, apricot honeysuckle, and a whisper of honey. There is light acidity, but a beautiful balance and texture.

An excellent vintage for this wine, it is in a great place right now.  The wine is a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir.  Light golden in color with a fine bead of tiny bubbles.

Another classic Chardonnay from this producer.  Santa Cruz is south of San Francisco.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemons, slight vanilla and spice.  Crisp texture.  Great acidity.  This is just starting to open and has a long life left.  Lemons and green apples with some underlying spice.  Long finish.  Drink over the next ten years.  

This is 100% sparkling Chardonnay from New Zealand.  Silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  A good amount of medium to small sized bubbles.  The nose peach with toast.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is concentrated and tight.  It took some time to open showing peach with some yeasty  notes and underlying char.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and should be very foo friendly.  A nice wine with a BLT or a Veggie Burger.  Drink over the next five years.

This is 95% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir from Italy.  Franciacorta is a great region for sparkling wines.  Light golden in color with a nice mousse of smaller bubbles.  The nose is big with cream soda and a bit of hazelnuts.  Full bodied.  On the palate, it seems to have just the slightest bit of residual sugar left.  Some citrus and plenty of minerality.  A bit shorter on the almond finish.  This is nice on its own and very food friendly.  It went great with assorted hard and soft cheeses.  Drink over the next ten years.