Chardonnay Wine

Winemaker Description 

Woodbridge Buttery Chardonnay offers rich, creamy and more buttery profile than our much loved, classic Chardonnay. Flavors of golden delicious apple & tropical fruit, complemented by notes of brown spice and toasty vanilla aromas distinguish this wine. 

Winemaker Description

Chalk Hill's 2024 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay offers a bright, lively profile. Aromas and flavors of Fuji apple, lemon curd, honeydew melon, toasty oak, and baking spices arecomplemented by flinty minerality and a touch of nutmeg.

Since 1972, Chalk Hill has been committed to creating terroir-driven wines of character, richness and elegance from Sonoma County’s rolling hills. With a passionate dedication to chardonnay, we showcase the incredible diversity of our estate vineyards to make the best quality wines possible with a vision for generations to come. While our estate vineyards are the cornerstone of our identity, our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay allows us to create wines of elegance with an expanded palette of exceptional cool-climate fruit.

New York Times

Schramsberg was one of California’s modern pioneers of sparkling wine, with 1965 as its first vintage. A lot has changed in California’s sparkling wine world since then, with many small producers now making excellent wines. But Schramsberg is still going strong. This blanc de blancs, made entirely from chardonnay, is creamy, toasty, crisp and fresh. - Eric Asimov’s New York Times Article Dec. 21, 2023

Winemaker Description

Our Professional Review

Oscar Garcia Moncada | 67 Wine: The Leflaive family name boasts a long and distinguished winemaking tradition in Burgundy, making it perfectly fitting for them to extend this tradition north to Champagne. In February, I had the pleasure of tasting through the Valentin Leflaive Champagne lineup and was thoroughly impressed by each cuvée. 

Winemaker Description 

An elegant, fresh Blanc de Blancs from Valentin Leflaive that offers notes of yellow apples, candied lemons, freshly-baked bread and a clean salinity that lingers in the finish.

Expert Reviews - CV/19/30

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

The Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | A pleasing balance of rich flavor, mouthwatering acidity and verve deliver. This wine combines the aromatic lift of citrus blossoms with flavors of crisp nectarine, spice and a hint of guava. Delicious.

James Suckling 92 Points | A creamy and flavorful chardonnay, offering white peaches, raw walnuts, lemon rind and melon. Rich but clean and textured, with medium to full body and delicious stone fruit in the middle. Tense, juicy finish

Winemaker Description 

The 2023 vintage could be the vintage of the decade. It is among the coolest growing seasons in Napa Valley in the past ten-plus years, resulting in wines that are exceptionally flavorful, expressive, and have strong potential to age for decades to come. 

This Chardonnay presents a complex bouquet with enticing aromas of ripe melon, honeysuckle, and juicy peach, complemented by delicate hints of citrus blossoms.  

The name KARIA (KAR-ee-ah) is derived from the Greek word meaning graceful, and the 2023 KARIA Chardonnay lives up to its moniker. It shows how grapes from select cool-climate vineyards in southern Napa Valley can be vinified and blended into a seamless integration of fresh-fruit aromas and flavors, crisp acidity and subtle oak spice. Light and graceful: that’s KARIA. 

KARIA comes from a tapestry of vineyards in the southern part of Napa Valley. For the 2023 vintage, vineyards in the Atlas Peak District (42%), Carneros (35%), Arcadia (14%) and Bravo Zulu (8%) contributed fruit for this wine. The vineyards in Carneros (Beckster Las Amigas and Carneros Creek), which are cooled in the mornings and evenings by breezes sweeping north from San Pablo Bay, contribute citrus and mineral notes to the wine. ARCADIA VINEYARD brings perfume and delicate fruit characters. The Oak Knoll vineyards (Bravo Zulu) provide bright, juicy apple and pear personality to the blend. Atlas Peak fruit adds a lemon/lime citrus character and a richer mouthfeel. The grapes for this wine were picked early in the morning to keep them cool and then they were whole cluster pressed to preserve freshness. Oak and malolactic fermentation were used in moderation to accent, rather than overwhelm, the fruit. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Jeb Dunnuck writes:  Juicy citrus, tart pineapple, and mint herb notes, as well as some classic background mineral and salty nuances, emerge from the 2022 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills, a medium-bodied Chardonnay that's nicely balanced, has bright yet integrated acidity, and outstanding length. The appellation release comes 90% from La Rinconada and 10% from Sanford & Benedict, saw malolactic in barrel (as do all of these Chardonnays from Sanford), and 11 months in 25% new French oak. Drink bottles through 2032.  - Jeb Dunnuck 91

Jim Gordon writes:  A delicious, generous and moderately oaked wine. It offers warm, toasted almond aromas and cool golden apple, kiwi and guava notes on the palate. Full-bodied, creamy and layered, well balanced by light acidity. Drink now.  - James Suckling 93

Antonio Galloni writes:  The 2022 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is a fabulous appellation-level wine that shows how compelling the 2022 vintage can be. Apricot, yellow flowers, chamomile and light tropical accents all grace this tasty, inviting Chardonnay. Most of the fruit is from La Rinconada.  Drinking 2024 to 2030.  - Vinous 90

Winemaker Description 

Winemaker Description 

An initial impression of rich, buttery cream quickly turns to aromas of honey and lightly toasted almonds, followed by tropical aromas of pineapple, citrusy lemon and crème brulee. The wine is refreshing on the palate, with a minerality that is both bright and clean, drawing you into a vibrant tartness and lemon zest that is absolutely, positively Bonterra Chardonnay, vintage after vintage. 

Winemaker Description 

Our Chardonnay is medium-bodied with a hint of oak. Aromas of lemon and citrus combined with flavors of apple and pear lead to a delightfully crisp finish. 

Winemaker Description 

Liberal ripe Meyer lemon, citrus blossoms and spice aromas are accented by notes of seaside minerality. Flavors are layered with citrus, orchard fruit and clean oyster-shell minerality. A generous wine with great energy and vibrancy and will reward with additional cellaring. Aging: The premiers crus wines are fermented in a combination of stainless steel and oak puncheons for seven months.

Expert Notes

Bruce Sanderson writes:  This white shows intensity, offering plenty of succulent peach and floral aromas and flavors. Clean, lemony acidity keeps the palate refreshed, with a chalky feel in the end. Drink now through 2028.  - Wine Spectator 90

Winemaker Description 

Pale yellow color with hints of green. You get on the nose a touch of oak, lots of finesse and minerality with white flowers, lemon and apple scents. On the mouth, the wine is fresh, round and fruity with aromas of melon, kiwi, peaches and apricot and a nice minerality. Overall, the wine is nicely balanced and fresh with a great length. 

Winemaker Notes

The 2023 Far Niente Chardonnay enchants with a bouquet of citrus, white floral, and hints of honeydew melon and nectarine. Its silky texture and bright, refreshing palate dance with flavors of lemon/lime zest and lemon verbena, culminating in a long, juicy finish that leaves the palate yearning for more.

Expert Rating

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

93 Points Wine Spectator: This stunning wine leaps out of the glass, with concentrated flavors of white peach, quince and pineapple, plus floral accents of orange blossoms and lemon curd. Finishes with mouthwatering acidity, a note of crunchy sea salt minerality and a whiff of lemon verbena. (2023).

94 Points Jeb Dunnuck: Made by Greg Brewer and already bottled, the 2023 Chardonnay comes from the Mission Mills Vineyard just outside of Los Alamos. Its vivid medium gold hue is followed by a vibrant nose of salted citrus, tangerine, exotic flowers, and subtle spice. Medium-bodied, pure, rounded, and beautifully balanced, it has plenty of power and density, integrated acidity, and a great finish. This impeccably made Chardonnay should be snatched up by readers, as it competes with wines at two to three times the price.

93 Decanter Magazine: One of the region's perennial top-value Chardonnays that retains the truest sense of place. With the aroma of salty sea air and dried white flowers, winemaker Greg Brewer calls the wine ‘big and neutral, blurring the lines of expectation.’ Spicy lime flavours combined with cardamom, tingly acidity, and a dash of white pepper finish it off.

93 Points James Suckling: An unoaked chardonnay that's full-bodied but balanced and amazingly rich in ripe fruit. Flavors of lemons, green apples, pineapple. mangoes, minerals and chalk. Harvested late in the year, fermented in steel tanks, then bottled and sold early while it's fresh and racy in texture.

Winemaker Description 

The Diatom Santa Barbara Chardonnay offers aromas of lemon, citrus blossom and wet sand with flavors of saline and white peach on the palate. A precise, balanced wine. 

Winemaker Description 

The color of the wine is light yellow. It is an expressive wine with attractive aromas of pineapple, citrus, and vanilla. This elegant wine is balanced with an attractive acidity and a long, memorable finish.

Winemaker Description 

Our family winery has hand-crafted fine wines for four generations. We harvest grapes at their peak of ripeness from our 1,850 acres and prime California vineyards creating wines to be enjoyed every day – whatever the occasion. Our Chardonnay is a delightfully crisp wine with aromas of lemon and citrus.

• Flavors of apple and pear mingle with a hint of oak in this medium-bodied wine that is smooth and refreshing

Winemaker Description 

Pale yellow color with hints of gold and green. Powerful notes of minerality and yellow fruits. Rounded and rich with a good structure and lengthy finish.

 Enjoy as an aperitif or with seafood, veal, goat cheese, or gruyère.

Winemaker Description - Vintage 2023

This Chardonnay grapes come from a single vineyard in Carneros that is influenced by the cooling effect of the Pacific Ocean allowing for a long growing season. The grapes are fermented in French concrete tanks and aged in barrels 3+ years old. The concrete vessel fermentation enhances the aromatics of the varietal, increases the mineral character and highlights the terroir and vineyard site.

Winemaker Description 

The wine shows floral, apple and citrus aromas and flavors, with mineral notes; a classic expression of Chardonnay from this appellation.

Expert Ratings

Matthew Luczy writes:  Sourced from the limestone soils of Talinay Vineyard, the 2023 Cordillera Chardonnay is a lovely example of the transparent vibrancy possible in Chardonnay from the coastal sections of Limarí. Opening with a medley of orchard fruits, citrus and floral accents, the palate is clean and precise, with a touch of waxy breadth that provides additional staying power through the mouthwatering finish.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 92

Producer Description 

Fresh, fruity aroma dominated by peach, white plum, and grapefruit notes, with touches of toasted hazelnut. Mineral on the palate, with plenty of volume, elegant acidity and lasting rich fruity aromas, ending with a fresh, pleasant aftertaste.

Winemaker Description 

An elevated everyday choice, the 2023 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay arrives right on time by awakening the nose with notes of crisp green apple, and the warm sweetness of honey. First sips bring the strong citrus and unmistakable acid of preserved lemon peel, followed by the comfort of toasted graham cracker crust and a subtle whisper of light oak.

Enjoy on a summer evening alongside a chicken piccata or roasted seasonal squash

Expert Review - Vintage 2021 

Vinous 93 Points | The 2021 Chardonnay Cordillera de los Andes comes from the Talinay vineyard in Limarí. 50% was aged in French barrels, 23% of them new. Yellow with a greenish sheen. The nose offers green apple notes with hints of pear, acacia, hazelnuts and a whiff of praline over a bed of oak. In the mouth it has a saline feel with a slightly creamy flow and pert freshness. A long-lasting wine.

Winemaker Description 

Expert Review - Vintage 2024

James Suckling 90 Points | A nice mix of stone, citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Dry, with bright acidity. A solid, lively and refreshing California chardonnay at an affordable price.

 Winemaker Description

Round and fresh with notes of ripe pineapple, kumquat, lemon zest, and touches of Golden Delicious apple, with bright acidity throughout and almond on the finish.

Fresh and zesty. Pairs effortlessly with seafood, fresh pasta and salty potato chips. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

Year’s Best US Chardonnay - Wine & Spirits Magazine

James Suckling 94 Points | Grilled pineapple, apricot, hawthorn, burnt lime and flint on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with bright acidity and a sleek, creamy texture. Balanced, fresh and long. Beautiful expression. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now or hold. 

Winemaker Description 

The 2019 'Dundee Hills Chardonnay' is a regional blend showcasing the best of the Dundee Hills AVA. Refined aromas of nectarines, honeysuckle, and bee pollen ascend from the glass, coalescing with notes of citrus peel. Layers upon layers of richness extend across the palate and crescendo to a seamless, persistent finish with lingering notes of lemon drop candy. 

This wine has the energy and drive to drink young or over the next decade. This wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered showing our commitment to minimal intervention winemaking. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description 

The Oberon Los Carneros Chardonnay is expressive and approachable; showcasing balanced fruit, beautiful crushed seashell minerality, lingering acidity and rich flavors and aromas of caramelized white pear, fresh fuji and golden delicious apple, apple blossoms and torched crème brûlée.

Winemaker Description 

The 2023 vintage reflects the distinct influence of a cooler growing season, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and develop nuanced flavors. On the nose, expect vibrant aromas of bright citrus, freshly plucked apples and delicate white jasmine.

On the palate, stone fruit notes are met with rich undertones of vanilla and clove, harmonized with warm spice and a touch of oak-derived toastiness. The interplay between the oak and fruit brings a balanced finish, with higher toasty notes lingering gracefully.” 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

92 Points Wine Enthusiast: Though the production level of this wine is rather massive, the quality does not suffer. Aromas of lemon chiffon cake and wet stone are engaging on the nose. The palate starts with a tantalizing acidity and stony texture, giving edge to the richer cream and vanilla-meringue flavors that arise by the finish.

Expert Reviews

100 Points by Jeb Dunnuck: The 2023 Chardonnay Estate is a unicorn wine, with the acids naturally occurring with ease in this cool, long, extended growing season that the wine world is rightfully excited about, producing wines of tremendous elegance and balance, sourced entirely from Monte Bello Estate. The minerality is off the charts, exuberantly defining the wine after a barrel fermentation of nine months on the lees in 85% American and 15% French oak, 15% of it new. Gorgeously lengthy and bright, winemaker John Olney recommends that for primary fruit.

95 Points – Owen Bargreen, OwenBargreen.com
94 Points – Clive Pursehouse, Decanter.com
94 Points – Matthew Luczy, Wine Advocate
93 Points – MaryAnn Worobiec, WineSpectator

Winemaker Description 

Apple fruit, brioche, and vanilla on the nose. On the palate, focused notes of citrus, pear, bright acidity, and a clean finish.

100% Chardonnay, Organically Grown

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

The Wine Spectator 88 Points | A ripe, fruity style, yet this shows textbook Chablis flint, lemon and apple flavors. This round, harmonious and juicy version lingers nicely on the finish. Drink now. 35,415 cases made, 7,083 cases imported.

Winemaker Notes

Chablis Saint Martin has the intense freshness typical of the terroir in combination with ripe white fruit and white blossom aromas. The minerality gives a lingering finish and a distinct character. A nice complexity emerges from this vintage, while keeping a lot of purity.

Founded in 1850, Domaine Laroche is one of the largest owners of Premier and Grand Cru vineyards in Chablis and has led movements to raise the quality of the appellation with the creation of a charter of excellence for the Grand Cru producers. The Domaine Laroche vineyards are undergoing active conversion to organic viticulture.

Saint Martin, the patron saint of Chablis, was a Roman cavalry officer who became a humble monk and was elected Bishop of Tours. Saint Martin’s relics were kept for a decade in the Obédiencerie of the ninth-century monastery in the town of Chablis. The Saint Martin cuvée is the flagship wine of Domaine Laroche, a symbol of the Laroche values of sharing and conviviality.

• Grape Source: 100% Chardonnay
• Appellation: Chablis
• Location: Bourgogne
• Cultivation: Sustainable, Vegan
• Viticulture: Undergoing active conversion to organic viticulture
• Soil: Kimmeridgian soil composed of clay and limestone

Winemaker Description 

Flavors of pear, apple, and ripe tropical fruit. Well-balanced with vanilla and oak notes. Pair with grilled chicken or fish.

Beringer is known for establishing many 'firsts' as leaders in the wine industry. We were one of the first gravity fed facilities and among the first to operate using hand-dug caves and cellars. We were the first to give public tours in 1934, starting a Napa Valley hospitality tradition. We are the first and only winery to have both a red and a white wine named #1 Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator Magazine.

Quick Expert Summary - Vintage 2024

 🍇 Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | Praised for its solid texture and fresh, flush aromas of mango, honey, and gardenia. Notes of coconut flake and tropical fruit get a light dusting of toasted oak.

Winemaker Description - 2024

The Discovery Chardonnay leads with a stunning nose of juicy pineapple, freshly sliced pears, lemon chiffon and warm toast. Spicy notes of nutmeg and ginger are highlighted with star jasmine and honeysuckle fragrances accompanied by hints of smoky oak and hazelnut.

Elegant and silky on the palate, this Chardonnay offers delectable peach, melon and green apple flavors accentuated by tropical notes of mango, guava, pineapple and kiwi. A clean, exceptionally balanced finish is rounded out with essences of sweet Crenshaw.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

James Suckling 93 Points | Fresh lemons, herbs and spices on the nose. The palate delivers a focused and energetic body with vibrant acidity supporting a rounded and creamy mouthfeel. A very complex, mineral-driven and balanced chardonnay.

Jeb Dunnuck 91 Points |  A bright silver straw hue, the nose of the 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is very lifted with a vibrant energy on opening, offering notes of fresh green apples, lime leaf, linen, delicate sweet spices, and fresh white flowers. Medium-bodied, it has a kiss of sweet pear-noted fruit and a clean, easygoing feel. It’s very, very charming and drinking well now. I like this for the freshness, but it should hold on nicely over the coming 5-6 years.

Vinous 91 Points |  A vivid burst of crushed yellow apples and peaches, minty herbs, vanilla beans and sweet spice form an enticing bouquet as the 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley comes to life in the glass. This is fruit-focused and rich, with round and supple textures and a core of ripe orchard fruits. Juicy acidity keeps the mouth watering through the finish as candied lime notes linger on and on.

Winemaker Description 

A true expression of the Willamette Valley, and a partner to their Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This wine is driven by bright acidity overlaid on top of a solid foundation of fruit, sourced from premier sites across the region to incorporate the unique terroirs of the region's sub-AVAs.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

The Wine Spectator 91 Points | A waft of roasted nut on the nose enriches the palate's lively range of steeped apricot, Mandarin orange peel, pastry cream and chamomile notes. Racy acidity gives the complex profile fine definition and carries this on the well-spiced finish. Drink now through 2033.

Decanter 91 Points | This Umbrian Chardonnay from Antinori's estate is vinified and aged partly in stainless steel and partly in wood. The 2023 is toasty and slightly tropical, with a mineral, stony quality which runs through the core, and lovely bright acidity. It finishes with some zesty lemon peel and Mediterranean herbs. Nicely balanced and very fresh.

Winemaker Description - Vintage 2023

Bramìto della Sala has an intense and bright straw yellow color. The nose is dominated by notes of white flowers and light hints of chamomile accompanied by Golden Delicious apple and delicate vanilla aromas. Fresh and pleasant on the palate with full expression of the varietal character. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

James Suckling 91 Points | Spiced apples and pears with hints of citrus peel and raw almonds on the nose. Tense and juicy with medium to full body and a compact, lightly phenolic texture. Vivid and lingering. Drink or hold.

Winemaker Description 

'Shale and Stone' on the label is reflective of the deep minerality of the vineyard's ancient fractured shale soils and the freshness of the varietal. With long sur lie aging in concrete, it is taut but generous, and full yet bright on the palate.