Chardonnay Wine

Critic Notes

Tim Fish of the Wine Spectator writes 94 Points | Sleek yet luxurious, this impressive white offers rich Asian pear, nectarine and lemon zest flavors that gather richness and flesh on the long finish. Drink now through 2026. 

Eric Guido of Vinous writes 91 Points | The 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley impresses with its fruit-forward yet beautifully balanced personality, blending yellow apples with chamomile, ginger and hints of white smoke. This is soothingly round with a balance of saline minerals and ripe pears, all guided by brisk acidity. It finishes with admirable length and gentle tension, leaving minty herbal tones to linger on.  Drinking 2024 to 2029.  -

Erin Brooks of the Wine Advocate writes writes 91 Points | The 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley, which contains fruit from vineyards across the appellation, including Koosah, Découverte and Witness Tree, is tense and shimmery. It's scented of yellow apples, lemon peel, bread dough, cashews and beeswax. The light-bodied palate balances concentrated, nutty fruit with vibrant acidity, and it has a long, silky finish.  Drinking 2024 to 2034.

Clive Pursehouse of Decanter writes 93 Points | A core of lemon driven intensity the Résonance Willamette Valley bottlings are nearly as impressive as the single vineyard designates. This wine is a combination of the estate vineyards and some of the Willamette Valley's top sites. Aromas of sweet Meyer lemon blossom, fragrant gardenias, and smoky grilled lemon peel. The palate showcases a real vibrance of fruit, early season stone fruits, lemon curd and bright mineral elements. Crisp acidity yet richly balanced.  Drinking 2024 to 2034. 

James Suckling writes 92 Points | A structured, golden apple-scented wine with hints of toasted almonds, light toast and subtle caramel. Well-balanced, rounded and composed. Drink now. 

Winemaker Description 

The Bourgogne Blanc from Domaine Leflaive has the particularity to only come from vineyards located in the town of Puligny, making it easily one of the best Bourgogne Blanc you could get your hands on. This is the perfect first step into the Domaine Leflaive’s unique offerings. All vineyards are farmed biodynamically. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

Allen Meadows of Burhound | A very pretty nose freely reveals its aromas of apple, pear and lemon rind. The succulent, delicious and appealingly vibrant middleweight flavors possess a relatively refined texture while displaying fine depth and length for a wine of this level. The 20% addition of young vines from upper-level vineyards clearly helps and overall, this is excellent.

Expert Review - Vintage 2020 

Allen Meadows of Burghound writes 90-92 Points | Elegant and cool aromas include those of lemon, green fruit, pepper and wisps of iodine. The lush, round and generously proportioned flavors are supported by bright acidity on the saline and citrus-tinged, dry and sneaky long finale. This moderately dry effort could use better depth, but more should develop with time in bottle.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

Tim Atkin 90 Points | This wine can be enjoyed young (2-3 years old) with fish or poultry terrines, or with grilled or poached fish. It also goes well with asparagus, which is normally difficult to match, as well as exotic cuisine: it can handle curries or tandoori dishes and it also balances out the mellow and subtle texture of sushi. Or you could simply drink it as a splendid pre-dinner drink. It harmonizes well with goat cheeses, as well as Beaufort, Comté, or Emmental. 

Winemaker Description

Our Chardonnay grapes come primarily from California's Central Coast vineyards, prized for producing pure, bright fruit. The cooling influence of coastal Pacific breezes temper ripening and help the grapes retain acidity, ensuring deep, concentrated flavor in the glass. 

Our classically styled Chardonnay has a rich and creamy palate of baked apples, poached pears and pineapple. Balanced and elegant with threads of baking spice and citrus, the majority of the wine is aged in French oak, lending a toasty, creamy note to the finish. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

92 Points James Suckling | A chardonnay with excellent quality for the money with a phenolic tension and mineral and flint undertones. Serious and dry.

Winemaker Description 

The 2022 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is bright, forward, balanced and approachable. Enticing aromas of red apple, spice, nectarine, and baked bread lead into a broad textured, and creamy palate. With its cool-climate influences, this chardonnay has remarkable varietal intensity, balanced acidity and mineral notes that complement the flavors of fresh peach and honey. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description 

Connects the melody in a pleasing chorus that satisfies the whole audience. Leaves no one behind, sweeping the crowd into the cheer.

A harmonious blend of tropical fruit, toasty texture, and minerality. It seemlessly melds the different faces of northern and southern vineyards for a quaffable staple that will make you all warm inside.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

James Suckling writes 90 Points | Aromas of lemon pith, pear skin, white almond and yogurt. Medium- to full-bodied with vivid acidity and a polished texture. Some chalkiness to it. Pleasant and satisfying, with a flavorful finish. Drink now. 

Audrey Frick of Jeb Dunnuck writes 91 Points | The deep yellow 2021 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is ripe with aromas of wet stone, fresh pineapple, and lemon rind. Lush, rounded, and full-bodied, with a creamy texture and hints of almond nuttiness and honeycomb on the palate, it’s in a good spot now and should hold up well over the next 4-5 years.  Drinking 2023 - 2028.

Tim Fish of Wine Spectattor writes 92 Points |  Vibrant and floral, showing pretty flavors of lemon and pear accented with honeysuckle and spice notes. Drink now. 

Winemaker Description 

Notes of apple and ripe pear mingle with woody spice. Citrus zest and a touch of oak give this wine a balance of acid and sweetness creating weight and length in the finish. 

Winemaker Description

Golden, luminous color. Rich and fresh aromas of yellow peaches play against a salty mineral backdrop. The palate is full of juicy, delicious fruit with a refreshing finish.

Delicate aromas of green apple, pear, and citrus zest, accompanied by subtle floral notes of white blossom. Hints of wet stone and almond add depth to the nose, evoking the mineral-driven terroir of the Côte d'Or.

Winemaker Description 

Produced at the hands of Marquis d'Angerville, fruit for this organically and biodynamically farmed Chardonnay ferments with native yeasts and ages 10 months in neutral barrel. Lively acidity & solid structure make this wine perfect for pairing with roast chicken, cheese boards, or creamy pasta sauces. 

Winemaker Description 

Corbett Canyon sources grapes grown from some of the top wine regions around the world which produces a greater concentration of flavors. We balance our delicious fruit with a touch of oak to give the wine a classic style that people can count on bottle after bottle. 

Our Chardonnay is a medium-bodied wine with classic hints of apple, pears and toasty oak.    

Expert Review - Vintage 2021 

Burghound | A much more floral-inflected nose freely offers up its aromas of cool and ripe pear, apple and zest. There is good richness if not quite the same density to the more finely textured middleweight flavors that conclude in a crunchy bitter lemon-tinged finale. Lovely and understated.

Winemaker Description 

Bouquet of apple, citrus and tropical fruit, then fermented on the skins, but never in oak.

Winemaker Description

The renowned Private Collection series is comprised of highly acclaimed wines, which are complex, full-flavored, and aromatic.

These refreshing wines pair well with Mediterranean cuisine, and will enhance any happy event.

Expert Reviews 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Matthew Luczy of the Wine Advocate writes 92 Points | The 2022 Chardonnay Vino de los Ranchos is sourced from own-rooted vines planted in 1973. The nose is poised and elegant, with inviting aromas of orchard fruits, toasted marshmallows, nougat and praline. The palate is energetic and laser-like in focus, leading to a crunchy, salivating finish that adds weightlessly rich depth and additional saline character with extended aeration.  Drinking 2022 to 2030.

Winemaker Description 

Think citrus flowers, orange meringue, salted almonds with bright acidity.
This wine is produced from the Rancho Vinedo Vineyard, planted in the Santa Maria Valley in 1973 on its own roots. It is farmed organically. The grapes are picked based on natural acidity, flavors, and visual signs in the vineyard. 

Once in the cellar the grapes are pressed, juice collected and barreled down to ferment with native yeast in old french oak barrels. The wine is aged on its lees for 17 months before being racked for the first time to bottle, unfined & unfiltered. 

Expert Review 

Burghound 89 Points | Cool and airy aromas are comprised by notes of petrol, white flowers and citrus zest. I like the mouthfeel of the equally tension-filled and mineral-driven middle weight flavors that exhibit evident minerality on the bone-dry, liner and youthfully austere finale. This is also quite good and worth checking out. 

Winemaker Description 

This taut white has an oily texture that envelops lemon oil, sweet corn and green apple skin flavors. Firm and balanced, with toasty oak and baking spice accents emerging on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 

Winemaker Description 

Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc Les Sétilles (family garden) has become one of the most popular items in the entire Frederick Wildman portfolio. Year in/ year out this wine represents impeccable quality and unsurpassed value in the French wine category. This wine exceeds expectations of even the most discriminating of palates.

Les Sétilles is sourced from vineyards within the communes of Puligny Montrachet and Meursault, with each village representing roughly half of the final blend. Grapes are sourced from multiple plots within each village in an effort to maximize complexity of the final wine.

Vintage consistency is the goal with this wine so the blending of lots and aging technique will vary according. Roughly 60% of the wine is aged in Allier oak, only 10% of which is new. The remaining 40% of the wine is aged in stainless steel to preserve clean varietal character.

Expert Reviews 

Audrey Frick of JebDunnuck.com writes 92 Points | The NV Champagne Blanc De Blancs is based on 80% 2017, with 20% reserve wine (a larger percentage that Delamotte has been using over the past several years due to climate change). The
wine comes from the three villages of Avize, Oger, and Mesnil sur Oger and pours a pale but bright yellow hue. Expressive on opening, floral aromas as well as notes of poached pear, fresh honeysuckle, almond, and lemon sherbet lift from the glass. Medium-bodied, with a refined mousse, it has even acidity through the palate and has a chalky texture, with a good linear drive through the finish. With 7 grams per liter dosage, it’s attractively balanced and rounds out the palate in a lovely way. It has notable freshness for the vintage. Drink 2024-2034.

James Suckling 93 Points | Croissants, toasted sourdough, white pears, acacia and lemon meringue pie. Salty almond notes on the palate. Deliciously saline and creamy, with silky bubbles and a gently toasty finish. 100% chardonnay from Mesnil, Avize and Oger. Based on 2017 vintage with 20% reserve wines. Drink now. 

Winemaker Description 

Made from Grand Cru Chardonnay, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs exhibits absolute purity, with the vinification process taking place in stainless steel tanks. Blanc de Blancs is a mineral champagne, with a chalky sensation achieved by a modest addition of reserve wine (10% maximum). This particular note is the very essence of our vineyard and its Chardonnays, which grow in a pure chalk soil. Yes, the wines may be a little austere when young, which is why maturation on the lees – far longer than the statutory fifteen months – extends to four or five years before disgorgement. Ageing after disgorgement continues to perfect the finesse and elegance of this cuvée.

Winemaker Description 

Winemaker Description 

Skyside Chardonnay shows beautiful aromas of honeysuckle, bright citrus notes of Meyer lemon and mandarin orange followed by aromas of apricot and white peach.

The wine enters subtly, filling the mid-palate with peach and citrus fruit notes. These flavors linger as they weave together with subtle oak notes and elegant acidity to lengthen the finish.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

The Wine Advocate 94 Points | The 2022 Chardonnay Estate has open, inviting aromas of candied peaches, manuka honey, white pepper and tropical flowers. The satiny, medium-bodied palate pairs concentrated flavors and textural breadth with tangy acidity, and it has a long, flavorful finish.

Winemaker Description 

Winemaker Description 

Full-bodied with ripe stone fruit flavors balanced with high acidity, toasty oak, honey and hints of spice. Finishes with creamy notes of butterscotch and vanilla.

Winemaker Description 

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Buttery Chardonnay White Wine offers a richer, creamier, more buttery profile than the classic Woodbridge Chardonnay.

Opening with brown spice and toasty vanilla aromas, this California wine features crisp, refreshing flavors of golden delicious apple and tropical fruit.

This chardonnay wine is fermented in stainless steel with a portion of the blend on oak, resulting in more of the rich, creamy flavor you love.

Enjoy this California white wine with light dishes and salads, roasted nuts, and heartier dishes like fettuccine carbonara and grilled salmon. Or enjoy a glass of wine on its own, savoring the creamy mouthfeel and long finish.

Expert Review - Vintage 2010

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 98 Points  | Dinner starts with a fresh, briny oyster and a glass of 2010 Dom Ruinart. It’s a beautiful pairing. I have always loved the 2010 for the way it straddles the worlds of Champagne and still wine. It is absolutely glorious on this night. In fact, I could have had it for the entire meal. A deep, luscious morel broth and Brittany scallops are other highlights among the amuse-bouches. (Drink between 2023-2050).

Winemaker Description 

Indulge in the pure expression of Chardonnay with Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs 2010. A vintage Champagne capturing the elegance and finesse of Chardonnay, with notes of citrus blossom, green apple, and a refined minerality. A perfect aperitif or accompaniment to delicate seafood dishes.

Expert Review - Vintage 2023 

Vinous 88-90 Points | The 2023 Chablis Village was assembled for my visit by Didier Picq from 10 vats. It has an attractive if light bouquet with apple blossom and fresh pear aromas. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, a little creaminess towards the finish. This will drink well for 4-6 years. 

Winemaker Description 

Quintessential Chablis full of flinty seashell essence. Steely, focused and mineral-laden. Extremely age-worthy.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2014

Tom Hewson of Decanter writes 94 Points | Offering up an elegant yet bright bouquet, this 2014 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs opens in the glass with orchard fruits, verbena, lemon zest,pastry, and slightly reductive aromas. Chiselled and perfectly balanced, the palate is lively and intense, and expresses clearly the fruit and the straightforward nature of the 2014 vintage. Should age well for a decade or so.

Audrey Frick of JebDunnuck.com writes 94 Points | The 2014 Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut is fresh and precise, with aromas of vibrant green apple, pleasant reduction with flint, and delicate smoke, citrus blossoms, and wet stone. The transition to the palate is seamless and linear, with crisp and crunchy green fruit, and is electric with lime candy, a refined mousse, and a chalky texture. It warrants more time before opening, but it is delicious and refreshing now. Drink over 2023-204

Essi Avellan, MW writes 95 Points | Here, grand cru quality is evident from the first sniff: intensity and refinement crowned by an exceptionally finely integrated toasty deliciousness. Floral fragrance marks the restrained nose with lemon-and-lime- infused orchard fruit. The palate is dancingly airy and joyously vibrant, and the energising tension continues up to the wine's long, dry pure-mineral finish. Ageing very slowly, this will reward cellaring even if it brings plentiful pleasure already. Dosage: 6.5g/l Drinking Window 2023-2035.

Winemaker Description - Vintage 2014

Its  pale  gold  colour,  glinting  with  emerald,  illuminates  the  fine  necklace  of bubbles  rising  tothe surface of the disc in the glass. On  the  nose,  the  wine’s noble  origins  are  unmistakable  in  the  energy  of  its  bouquet:  pure,direct and deep, a strong personality. Its lively attack, palate freshness and mouth-watering minerality are a delight. But it doesn’t end there. The Epicurean will appreciate the supple fruit and notes of brioche that explode, in a dreamy finish.

Each village has its own style. Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (20%): acidity, purity and chalky minerality. Avize (20%): balance and structure. Oger (20%), warmth, body and generosity. Cramant: smoky minerality. Chouilly: robustness and length. And finally, Oiry: acidity and roundness. To reprise the musical analogy, each territory has its own score and, when they are all played together to create Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014, each one can be heard in its own right. It is left to age over six long years. Not much, given the powerfulness of this wine. Its richness is equalled only by its concentration, and yet it remains light on its feet. It can even be generous…Such is the supreme elegance of a wine with ageing potential!

After a mild autumn and winter, the vines budded very early. The weather in spring was magnificent, with record-breaking sunshine and drought. Favourable weather in early Juneproved perfect for flowering. At the same time, it was so dry, everyone was desperate for rain.Then, rain it did! The weather went from one extreme to the other throughout the entire summer: abundant rain and August temperatures that could only be described as ‘autumnal’. We had to wait until September for a return to warm, sunny weather – and crucially, it was absolutely dry. In short,the ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen. The chardonnay grapes flourished, gaining power right up to harvest, which began on 11thSeptember for the Grands Crus of the Côte des Blancs. Spared any incident of pests or disease that had developed here and there in the Champagne region, our chardonnays were harvested in pristine condition. They also presented exceptionally high bunch weights – over150 grams – resulting in a comfortable yield, the ripeness balanced by fine acidity. However disconcerting the weather during the 2014 season, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs 2014 has a fine future ahead.

Expert Reviews

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | Reflecting this producer’s predilection for dry Champagnes, this wine is crisp, with minerality and tight citrus fruits. The wine is beautifully textured, needing a few more months in bottle.

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The latest release of this new cuvée, the NV Blanc de Blancs Nature from Laurent-Perrier offers up aromas of white fruits, flowers, confit citron and baked bread. It has a medium to full-bodied, tense and perfectly balanced palate with bright acids and a delicate vinous core of fruit, segueing into a long, saline and chalky finish. Based on the 2014 vintage (60%) complemented with the 2012, it is derived from vines planted in the communes of Avize, Cramant and Chouilly.

Wine Spectator 92 Points | This racy Champagne is driven as much by its crackling acidity as it is by the very fine, vivid mousse, which offers a layered framework for the rich mesh of pastry cream, lemon curd, poached apricot and almond biscotti flavors. Lightly toasty on the satiny finish. Drink now.

Winemaker Description 

The wine has a white gold color with a fine sparkle.The nose displays minerality and hints of citrus.On the palate the wine is balanced and sustained with a finish that is fresh with notes of lemon.

The Blanc de Blancs is a true wine for gastronomy pairing well with the finest fish: sea bass with salt crust, scallops, grilled marinated squid with lemon, thyme, olive oil as well white meats such as veal tartare with ginger and lemon.

Winemaker Description 

Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau is a small estate run by two talented winemakers, Frantz Chagnoleau and his wife Caroline Gon (winemaker at Héritiers du Comte Lafon).  As good a Macon as you will find.

Producer Description 

• 100% Chardonnay. • The Knoll, Lahoma Vineyard. • Small sandstone hill.

Umbrella training system – results in more shading. • Cold soak overnight.

• Fermented in 3 French oak large format puncheons. • Aged 10 months in the puncheons, stirred regularly.

Winemaker Description 

Our 2017 Chardonnay is stunning. The color is a beautiful light yellow, verging on gold. In the glass, the wine presents a full and complex aroma with distinct hints of honeysuckle, caramel, pear, pineapple, and vanilla. The mouthfeel is generous, bright and smooth, displaying balanced acidity and just a hint of oak. A long finish encourages another taste.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021

Allen Meadows Burghound | From a .94 ha parcel of 25+ year old vines, of which .52 ha is planted to chardonnay in Clos de la Maltroie and Les Places). This is aromatically quite similar to the Chassagne villages if perhaps with just a bit more elegance and complexity. There is excellent density to the delicious and intense medium weight flavors that conclude in a youthfully austere and bone-dry finale that comes up somewhat short. That may change with a few years of bottle aging but at present, this isn’t as harmonious as the best here.

Winemaker Description 

Lucie Cotoux relates that the domaine picked their 0.44 hectares of Champgains in three hours since there was so little fruit on the vines. The concentration however was superb with focused citrusy fruit plenty of mineral and white floral notes and a bit of spice. The texture shows a lovely density and weight and a long powerful finish?this is a very distinctive wine that should show well fairly early and continue to improve for at least a decade. (Drink between 2025-2045).