some of the more elaborate & colorful grocery store Chardonnay packaging
This is a report on 230 domestic Chardonnays representative of what can be found on grocery store shelves in Northern California. Many of these Chardonnays can be found in grocery stores in the 35 states in the U.S. where wine sales at such stores are permitted.
This report includes detailed tasting notes, ratings both by price range and alphabetically, an assessment of alcohol levels and styles of wine available, and a look at that fact that over 37% of the 230 wines rated are owned by only eight wine firms.
I selected Chardonnay as the varietal to examine for this report since it’s both the most widely represented wine grape varietal in grocery stores (approximately 10% of varietal wines) and the most widely planted wine grape in California. It’s also one of the world’s premier grape varieties, capable under ideal conditions of producing sublime and long aging wines as well as vast quantities of perfectly adequate raw material that is highly manipulable through winemaking techniques. From everything I’ve reviewed in researching for this report, this is the first time such a comprehensive critical tasting and analysis has been done of widely distributed grocery store Chardonnays.
Some of the insights I gained from this survey can be summarized briefly as follows:
• My scores on these wines ranged widely, from 75 to 92 points
• My average score was 85.8 points (i.e., slightly above average)
• Prices ranged from $3 to $41 before sales tax
• Very drinkable (86 to 87 point) wines can be obtained for as low as $7-9
• While high QPR (quality price ratio) wines can be found at virtually all price points, the highest rated wines (92 and 91+ points) can be found at the $15-20, $20-25 and $30-and-above price ranges
• The $26-30 range contains surprisingly few highly rated wines
• Three U.S. wine firms are responsible for nearly 17% of these wines, and the top eight wine firms own over 37% of these labels
• Nearly 16% of these grocery store Chardonnays exhibited relatively high residual sugar (sweetness)
• Less than 14% of these wines were bottled under screwcap
• 6% of the wines were affected by TCA and/or oxidation
Background
Cupertino Safeway’s wine section
For years people who know I rate and write about wines have asked me what to buy when they are at a grocery store or supermarket. I’ve always responded that supermarkets and grocery stores are not the place to buy wine.
To be in distribution at such large volume outlets means the wine has been made in sufficiently large quantities to justify their place on the shelf. Top quality, artisanal wines are made in relatively small quantities, from very limited fruit sources, so simply can’t be produced in the quantities required by nationwide chain stores. Therefore, if you’re looking for highly rated, artisanal wines, you are not going to find them in a grocery aisle.
Supermarkets also rarely have on hand someone knowledgeable about wine and what they carry to offer advice and counsel. The best place to purchase fine wine is a dedicated wine store, where they typically stock a hand selected inventory featuring a range of excellent wines and employ knowledgeable staff that can guide your selection.
Moreover, such outlets often turn the stocking of their shelves over to one or more of the country’s major wine and spirits distributors, meaning that although there may be dozens of labels on the shelf, many of them are owned by or in the portfolio of Constellation, E&J Gallo, The Wine Group or one of the other major wine firms.
Nonetheless, having received the same request from numerous friends and acquaintances over the years, and finding myself in the past year visiting smaller cities and towns that lacked easily accessible wine retailers, I decided to see if there were choices available at a typical grocery store that I might be able to recommend. I was also curious as to whether the increasing quality level we’ve seen in artisanal California Chardonnay in recent years might be having any influence on the quality level of mass market Chardonnay, or whether sweet and oaky styles of Chardonnay that have tended to be popular at the mass market level would continue to predominate.
The Lucky Store in Sunnyvale I regularly visit had a wine sale last Fall—buy four and save 10%—so that motivated me to take the plunge and see what their wine shelves had to offer. It turned out Safeway had a similar sale going, offering 30% off if you bought four or more bottles. Since the Safeway in Cupertino has the widest selection of any in Silicon Valley, that gave me a lot of labels to sample. I filled out the range of what’s available at grocery stores locally by buying up the several domestic Chardonnay labels on hand at the Mountain View Costco I hadn’t seen at Lucky or Safeway.
Chardonnay shelves at Lucky
I was fortunate to have received samples of some of the Chardonnays I saw at grocery stores from producers over the past year, so I could rely on my notes and scores on those wines for a small percentage of my survey. For the most part, though, I bought a dozen or more bottles at a time from the stores listed above, and proceeded to taste through them several nights a week over a three month period. The project ended up costing me close to $4,000 in wine purchases, but I learned a lot from the survey and hope my findings will prove valuable to others.
TCA, Oxidation and Bottle Closures
TCA–short for 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole–is a chemical compound ubiquitous in nature and frequently found in natural cork that imparts a “moldy newspaper” or “wet dog” odor and off taste to affected wines. Wine connoisseurs refer to wines with evident TCA contamination as “corked.” Because TCA and premature oxidation, particularly of white wines, is still a major problem, despite natural cork producers’ best efforts to bring the percentage of tainted cork down, I inevitably ended up with a number of faulty bottles—either corked or severely oxidized current releases. This was true of 6% of what I tasted. These I returned to the store for a replacement so I could sample a clean bottle.
I wish more consumers would return wines that are faulty due to contaminated or particularly porous natural corks. If so, wine producers and distributors might be motivated to switch all the more quickly to one of the many good alternative closures available that don’t run the risk of leaving consumers with a tainted or prematurely oxidized wine. Unfortunately, though, I knew I was in a tiny minority of grocery store wine buyers when I brought these bottles, with most of the wine still intact, back to the store and had to explain to the store manager or assistant manager why I was returning them. These personnel usually reacted as though I was the first person ever to return faulty wine. Nonetheless, they all agreed to let me have a replacement bottle, especially when I pointed out to them the volume of my recent wine purchases there.
To be fair, many consumers just don’t know have enough experience with wine to realize that a bottle with a funky smell or attenuated taste on the palate has been tainted as a result of problems with its closure. So rather than return it to see if another bottle smells and tastes better, they typically just avoid that wine in the future.
The bottom line is there is no reason why grocery store Chardonnay should be sealed under natural cork, except for the fact that many American consumers (unlike consumers in Australia, New Zealand, and increasing numbers of Europeans) continue to expect “fine wine” to have a cork closure. These are not wines meant for aging, and it is appalling that 6% of the bottles I tried had severe faults attributable to their cork closures. Only 14% of the wines in this survey were bottled under screw cap, which is an alternative closure that will not impart TCA to a wine and that will help prevent premature oxidation. We’d all be better off if wines like these were bottled under screw cap or other good, non-natural cork closures.
Grocery Store Merchandising
expensive top shelf wines at Lucky
From my visits to the grocery stores mentioned above, and to others—like Raley’s Nob Hill Foods—just to see there weren’t labels stocked there that I hadn’t tried from my primary sources, I got to learn something about retail wine merchandising.
Firstly, at each store, the highest priced wines can be found on the very top shelf. At immediate eye level, these pricey offerings dominate a casual consumer’s view. The very cheapest bottlings are placed on the bottommost shelf—making them hard to view easily if you’re not hunting for wines priced at that level. The remaining shelves in between contain a mix of wines at different price points, and generally decreasing prices as you proceed from top shelf to bottom. Sometimes the wines in the middle are in alphabetical or appellation order, and sometimes in no real discernable order at all.
I also found that, like shopping for dairy products and other perishable goods at grocery stores, it’s important to check the “sell by” dates by looking at all the containers available, including those toward the back of the shelf. In the case of white wine, that means paying attention to the vintage. Since premature oxidation is a real problem with wines sealed under cork, it is best to search to make sure you are getting the most recent vintage of the wine a store has available. I found that often there are two or more vintages of a particular wine on hand, with the more recent vintage placed in back of the older bottles.
Wine Label Ownership/Distribution
expansive Chardonnay selection at Safeway Cupertino
According to a 2012 study of concentration in the U.S. wine industry published by Michigan State University, three firms account for more than half the wine sales in the U.S. In the study’s report on the inventory of 20 Michigan retailers, they also found that the top six firms accounted for 21.9% of the total inventory on wine shelves there. The study claimed that the top firms “each contribute to an illusion of diverse ownership by offering dozens of brands . . . many of which do not clearly indicate the parent company on their label.” They found this illusion of diverse ownership strongest at chain drug stores, like CVS and Rite Aid, that “offered more than one hundred unique varieties, but the majority were supplied by E. & J. Gallo or Constellation Brands.” This phenomenon is also increasingly apparent at some grocery store chains, such as Kroger, which announced in January this year that it planned to hire Southern Wine & Spirits to oversee how it distributes shelf space to alcohol brands.
According to data for last year (i.e., before Treasury Wine Estate’s recent acquisition of the Diageo wine brands), the top three domestic wine producers, who split over half of U.S. total wine sales between them, were E. & J. Gallo, The Wine Group and Constellation Brands. The next five in order were Trinchero, Bronco, Treasury, Delicato and Kendall-Jackson.
Of the 230 wines I found at local grocery stores, 16.96% were owned by one of the top three wine firms. Together, the top eight wine firms accounted for 37.39% of the wine labels available at local supermarkets. And these percentages are probably significantly lower than at an average supermarket, since the Cupertino Safeway where I found the greatest variety of labels stocks an unusually high number of bottlings from local and independent producers.
In the listings at the end of this report, I identify the major ownership group, if there is one, in brackets following the name of the wine.
Top Rated Wines by Price Point
The dollar prices used below are based on the average sales price, before tax, reported for the wines nationwide on Wine-Searcher.com, the most comprehensive source for this info available online. In each grouping by price point, I’ve listed the wines from highest to lowest rating, and within each rating point, in order of lowest to highest price.
I was happy to find that very drinkable, good quality wines can be found for as low as $6 to $9 at supermarkets. I found 15 wines at this price level. My top recommendation at this price point is Ravenswood Vintners Blend (Constellation Wines) at 87 points. This wine has good varietal character and is balanced, meaning that it has good balancing acidity. I bought it for $7 at Safeway and Wine-searcher shows it averaging $9 throughout the country, where it is widely available. Also decent values are Bogle Vineyards and The Seeker, both at 86 points and averaging $9 a bottle.
In the under $6 range, my highest rating was 85+ points for ForestVille from Bronco Wine Estates. The other nine Chards at this level, priced between $3 and $5.99, ranged in scores from 76 to 83 points. I’d be hard pressed to recommend any of those wines, nearly all of which are non-vintage bottlings sourced from grapes throughout California (i.e., with no appellation identified except “California”). This is also a fast shrinking category, as market reports the last few years have shown consumers have been trading up from this price point to wines priced at $10 and higher.
In the $10 to $12 price range, the number of available labels jumped to 39. The highest rated for me, at 87 points, was Chateau Ste. Michelle from Washington State, at an average price of $10. Also close behind, at 86+ points, were A by Acacia and the 2012 bottling of Lucinda & Millie from California’s Mendocino County. I rated another four wines at this price point 86 points.
My scores start to climb at the $13 to $15 level—consisting of 42 wines–with two 89 point wines, Rodney Strong ($13) and Foxglove ($14). The Simi ($14) was close behind at 88+ points followed by the Jamieson Ranch Light Horse ($13) at 88 points. I rated another three wines at this level 87 to 87+ points and 10 wines from 86 to 86+ points.
My scores climb again at the $16 to $19 range, with the Alma Rosa Santa Barbara County bottling ($19) meriting 91+ points and Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard ($17) from Santa Barbara’s Santa Maria Valley scoring 91 points. For those looking for high quality wines at relatively affordable prices, these are strong showings, both offering complexity and good balance for under $20. I found a total of 42 wines at this price point and rated another three 90 to 90+ points, and two more each 89 and 88 points.
The largest number of wines at any price point, a total of 43, were found at the $20-25 level, along with one of my highest scoring wines, at 92 points–the admirable, minerally Au Bon Climat ($21). Even though I was delighted to find that wine at Safeway Cupertino, I doubt it is available at many grocery stores throughout the country. More widely available and meriting 91+ points are the very satisfying Clos du Val Carneros appellation and Landmark Overlook from Sonoma County, both averaging $23. Another three wines at this level scored 91 points (Gundlach Bundschu, Beringer and Freemark Abbey) while seven more came in at 90 to 90+ points.
As mentioned above, the showing of wines priced from $26-$29 was relatively disappointing, with only one (Stags’ Leap) meriting 90+ points, another two 89 points and four 88 points among 14 wines total at this level.
The highest price range found at the grocery stores, $30 and up, actually ranged to $41 before tax. Of 24 wines at this price level, three merited 92 points: Qupe Bien Nacido Block 11 ($30), Jordan Russian River Valley ($31) and Frank Family Napa Valley ($34). Five more scored 91 to 91+ points, and another five merited 90 to 90+ points.
The complete ratings (along with tasting notes) at each price point, as well as alphabetically by wine, can be found at the end of this report.
Pure Chardonnay?
At the low end of the market, one can be pretty sure producers are taking advantage of the fact that Federal and California law allow a wine to be labeled as being of a particular varietal, e.g., Chardonnay, as long as 75% of the grapes used were that variety. Since Chardonnay grapes tend to fetch higher prices than other white grapes, producers of wines at lower price points can keep production costs down by blending in less sought after varieties, such as French Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc.
Producers are not required by law to state the other grapes that might make up as much as 25% of the blend, so that information generally does not appear on labels of low priced Chardonnays. It can also be hard to find even on the tech sheets on producer websites. For the non-vintage Chardonnays, it makes sense that a producer wouldn’t want to be limited in what other grapes they incorporate in a given bottling of “Chardonnay.” Nonetheless, I did find information on blends in a few cases, which give us an idea of what’s being used in Chardonnays at that price level.
The 2013 ForestVille, my top ranked wine at the $6 and under level, is identified on the Bronco Wine Co. website as a blend of Chardonnay, “French Colombard, Muscat and Mixed Varietals.” The Seeker (86 points, $9) is mainly Chardonnay with 5% Gewurztraminer. Beaulieu (85 points, $9) contains 5% Viognier. Fetzer Sundial (84 points, $7), a top seller, was a blend in 2013 of 89% Chardonnay, 5% Viognier, 3% Chenin Blanc, 2% Pinot Grigio and 1% Sauvignon Blanc. The 2014 Guenoc contains 10% Sauvignon Blanc. Finally Woodbridge, another huge seller (83+ points, $7), does not currently identify the blend, but the tech sheet for the 2011 on the Woodbridge website describes the cuvee as 76% Chardonnay, 18% French Colombard, 3% Viognier, and 3% “a proprietary blend of aromatic varietals.”
One can be pretty sure that wines priced at $15 and higher are going to be 100% Chardonnay, and many clearly state that on their tech sheets. For the lower priced wines that are blends, the other grapes are likely to contribute to the aromas and flavors in ways that explain why many varietal bottlings at lower price levels tend to lack clear varietal character.
Alcohol, Balance and Style
At the $6 and under level, one finds relatively low alcohol wines, ranging from 11.5% to 13.87 and averaging 12.95%. This is both because the juice for wines at this level tends to come from less ripe, less premium grapes, and because some of the wines are not fermented all the way to dry, so as to retain some of the grape sugar for sweetness. This residual grape sugar would otherwise have been converted to alcohol, raising the alcohol level more to the standard found in California—13.5 to 14.5%. This was the case, for example, with the Turning Leaf (11.5% alcohol) and the Safeway private label Quail Oak (12.5%).
There was a time ten and 15 years ago when oaky and sweet Chardonnays were particularly popular. The Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, for example, which was one of California’s biggest selling Chardonnays for some years, was intentionally made with close to 1% residual sugar. Today the residual sugar level in Kendall-Jackson’s Chards has reportedly dropped to half that.
One sees an increase in alcohol levels at the $6 to $9 price point, where the reported alcohol level averages 13.5%, and again at the $10 to $12 level (13.58% average) and $13 to $15 (13.73%). Alcohol levels generally continue to rise with price, except for a slight dip at the $26 to $29 range, as follows: 13.89% average from $16 to $19, 14.16% from $20-25, 14.06% at $26-29, and 14.14% for wines $30 and up.
I think balanced wines can be made at a variety of alcohol levels. What’s important for balance in white wines in particular is the acidity level. The acidity—ranging from virtually nil to medium in the case of these grocery store Chardonnays—was a major factor in my rating. Wines with very little acidity are hard to pair with food and quickly get tiresome on the palate. Some sweetness, if that’s the style of wine one enjoys, can be fine as long as there is balancing acidity to keep the wine lively on the palate.
Another important factor in my ratings is the complexity of the wine, both on the nose and in the mouth. A wine that shows only one flavor can, like a wine without acidity, get pretty boring after a few sips. Wines that have complexity of aromas and flavors keep one coming back to experience that variety of flavors and their nuances.
Finally, as I’ve written before here, Chardonnay is a malleable grape that can be made in a variety of styles. Unoaked Chardonnays have become more popular in recent years, and the better examples of those tend to highlight the pure citrus and/or stone fruit, often showing admirable acidity. Different oak treatments can also have a marked effect on Chardonnay, adding everything from savory, toast, hazelnut and almond notes to heavier, butter and popcorn flavors.
There’s definitely a market for buttery types of Chardonnay, and many of these grocery store Chardonnays exhibited that character. My best recommendations for balanced wines in that style are Rodney Strong (89 points, $13), Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard (91 points, $17), Nottingham Cellars (90+ points, $24) and Stags’ Leap (90+ points, $26).
The wine that most reminded me of a crisp, minerally white Burgundy was the Jordan Russian River Valley. I scored it 92 points, but it is pretty pricey for a grocery store wine at $33.
For wines in the unoaked, clean style emphasizing citrus, apple and/or pear fruit, I can recommend A by Acacia-Unoaked (86+ points, $11) and Foxglove (89 points, $14).
For a combination of complexity of flavors and bright balancing acidity, my top picks are, at increasing price levels: Ravenswood Vintners Blend (87 points, $9), Chateau Ste. Michelle (87 points, $10), Alma Rosa (91+ points, $19), Clos du Val Carneros (91+ points, $23), Landmark Overlook (91+ points, $23), and Freemark Abbey (91 points, $24).
Final Notes
As a result of this survey, I am happy to have a number of Chardonnays to recommend to people who have occasion to buy wine at a supermarket. I did not, however, find much influence of the increasing quality level of artisanal California Chardonnays on these more mass market offerings. Sweet and very oak driven styles continue to be dominant, often without the balance that would make such wines at least somewhat palatable. My scores overall, even on fairly high priced wines, were significantly lower than I hoped, with a number of notable exceptions at the 90 to 92 point level.
I look forward to thoughts and comments on this report, and ideas on how future such reports could be made more useful for consumers. My intention is to continue the project, probably moving on next to the second most dominant wine variety found in grocery stores—Cabernet Sauvignon. I’ve added a PayPal donation button to the right side of the website in case you are inclined to contribute toward continuing this project. Money raised through such contributions will be used to continue buying and rating wines that are widely available at grocery stores and similar outlets throughout the country.
$6 and Under
2013 ForestVille Chardonnay California [Bronco Wine Co.] $6.00
Light yellow color; apple, baked apple, pear syrup nose; juicy, pear, apple, spice palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (blend of Chardonnay, French Colombard, Muscat and “Mixed Varietals”; 12.5% alcohol; 1st bottle had TCA, this was replacement bottle) 85+ points
2014 Beringer Vineyards Chardonnay California [Treasury Wine Estates] $6.00
Light straw yellow color; apple, pear nose; apple, pear palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.7% alcohol) 83 points
NV Rex Goliath Chardonnay Giant 47 Pound Rooster California, Central Coast [Constellation Brands] $6.00
Light yellow color; baked apple, nutmeg nose; simple, baked apple, pear nectar palate with a touch of residual sugar; short medium finish (13% alcohol) 83 points
NV Turning Leaf Chardonnay California [E&J Gallo] $6.00
Light yellow color; tart apple, apple turnover, vanilla nose; simple, ripe apple, baked apple palate with residual sugar and low acidity; short finish (11.5% alcohol) 82 points
NV Sutter Home Winery Chardonnay California [Trinchero Family Estates] $4.00
Light yellow color; apple, baking spice nose; one-dimensional, apple, baking spice palate with slight balancing acidity; short-medium finish (13% alcohol) 82 points
NV Barefoot Cellars Chardonnay California [E&J Gallo] $6.00
Very light yellow color; ripe green apple, lime aid nose; ripe green apple, lime aid palate with residual sugar and slight balancing acidity; short finish (13% alcohol) 80 points
NV Flipflop Wines Chardonnay California [The Wine Group]
Light yellow color; ripe peach, light banana nose; ripe peach, confectioner sugar palate with little balancing acidity; short-medium finish (13% alcohol) 79 points
NV The Naked Grape Chardonnay California [E&J Gallo] $6.00
Light straw yellow color; honeysuckle, ripe pear, candy apple nose; juicy, candy apple, pear juice palate with low acidity; short finish (13.5% alcohol; label says Naked Truth #6) $6.00 79 points
NV Quail Oak Vineyards Chardonnay California [Safeway private label] $3.00
Light yellow color; pear nectar, baked apricot, mango nose; pear nectar, baked apricot palate with no acidity and residual sugar; short-medium finish (12.5% alcohol) 78 points
2012 Spin The Bottle Cellars Chardonnay (Terravant) California $6.00
Light straw yellow color; baked apple, butter, oak nose; flabby, one-note, baked apple palate with residual sugar and low acidity; short finish (13.8% alcohol) 76 points
$7 to $9
2013 Ravenswood Chardonnay Vintners Blend California [Constellation Brands] $9.00
Light straw yellow color; baked pear, pear pastry filling, vanilla nose; tasty, poised, tart pear, pear pastry filling palate with good balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 87 points
2013 Bogle Vineyards Chardonnay California $9.00
Light yellow color; pear, apple, oak nose; tart pear, vanilla, apple, oak palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5 alcohol; 9 months in American oak, 50% new) 86 points
2011 The Seeker Chardonnay California [Kobrand] $9.00
Light yellow color; tart citrus nose; tart citrus palate; medium finish (95% Chardonnay, 5% Gewurztraminer; 13.3% alcohol) 86 points
2013 Gnarly Head Chardonnay California [Delicato Family Vyds] $7.00
Light yellow color; vanilla, baked apple, nutmeg nose; medium bodied, simple, baked apple, vanilla, baked pear palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85 points
2012 Beaulieu Vineyard Chardonnay Coastal Estates California [Treasury Wine Estates] $9.00
Light yellow color; oak, sauteed pear, butter, baking spice nose; oak, toast, pear, spice palate with some balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (95% Chardonnay, 5% Viognier; 13.5% alcohol) 85 points
2013 Dark Horse Wines Chardonnay The Original California [E&J Gallo] $9.00
Light straw yellow color; applesauce, light vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg nose; medium bodied, rich, baked pear, nutmeg palate with low acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 85 points
2013 Three Thieves Chardonnay California [Trinchero Family Estates] $9.00
Light yellow color; apple, pear cream nose; apple, pear cream palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85 points
2013 Fetzer Chardonnay Sundial California [Vina Concha y Toro S.A.] $7.00
Light straw yellow color; apple, pear, baked apple nose; apple, pear palate with low acidity; medium finish (89% Chardonnay, 5% Viognier, 3% Chenin Blanc, 2% Pinot Grigio, 1% Sauvignon Blanc; 13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2014 Woodbridge Chardonnay California [Constellation Brands] $7.00
Light yellow color; pineapple, apple nose; apple gelee, lemon, oak palate with some balancing acidity; short-medium finish (on the Woodbridge website, the only vintage for which there is tech info is 2011, where the blend was 76% Chardonnay, 18% French Colombard, 3% Viognier and 3% “proprietary blend of aromatic varietals”; the RS that vintage was 0.3%; 13.5% alcohol) 83+ points
2013 A Crisp Cellars Chardonnay (Luna) California $9.00
Light straw yellow color; mango, tart apple, light reduction nose; apple, pear palate with low acidity; short finish (14.6% alcohol) 83 points
2013 Beringer Vineyards Chardonnay Founders’ Estate California [Treasury Wine Estates] $9.00
Light yellow color; guava, green melon, lime cream nose; guava, green apple, lime cream palate with low acidity; short-medium finish (13.9% alcohol) 83 points
2013 Blackstone Winery Chardonnay Winemaker’s Select California, Central Coast, Monterey County [Constellation Brands] $9.00
Light yellow color; mango, butter sauce nose; sweet butter, pineapple syrup palate with lots of residual sugar; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2013 Smoking Loon Chardonnay Steelbird California [Don Sebastiani & Sons] $9.00
Light yellow color; lemon, light vanilla, pear nose; medium bodied, pear, ripe apple palate with low acidity; short-medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2012 Smoking Loon Chardonnay California [Don Sebastiani & Sons] $9.00
Light yellow color; butter, apple nose; apple, butter palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 82 points
2014 Guenoc Chardonnay California [Foley Food & Wine Society] $9.00
Light yellow color; reduction, green apple, lime nose; medium bodied, single note, green apple palate with lowish acidity; short finish (90% Chardonnay, 10% Sauvignon Blanc; 13.5% alcohol) 81 points
2012 Belle Ambiance Family Vineyards Chardonnay California [Delicato Family Vyds] $9.00
Light yellow color; baked apple, tart peach nose; insipid, ripe peach palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 80 points
$10 to $12
2014 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay Washington, Columbia Valley [Ste. Michelle Wine Estates] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; vanilla, ripe pear, apple cream, butter nose; rich, creamy textured, ripe pear, vanilla palate with some balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (14% alcohol) 87 points
2014 A by Acacia–Unoaked Chardonnay California [Treasury Wine Estates] $11.00
Light straw yellow color; appealing, tart apple, pear gelee nose; apple, ripe lemon, grapefruit palate with near medium acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 86+ points
2012 Lucinda & Millie Chardonnay California, North Coast, Mendocino County [V2 Wine Group] $11.00
Light straw yellow color; apple, baked apple, vanilla nose; medium bodied, ripe apple, baked pear, light vanilla palate; medium finish (14.5% alcohol) 86+ points
2013 Magnolia Court Chardonnay California, Central Coast [Southern Wine & Spirits] $10.00
Light medium yellow color; aromatic, ripe pear, baked apple nose; baked pear, mineral, apple palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 86 points
2012 14 Hands Chardonnay – Unoaked Chardonnay Washington [Ste. Michelle Wine Estates] $11.00
Light yellow color; oak, apple juice, almond, toasted pecan nose; pear, baked apple palate with good balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 86 points
2014 Avalon Chardonnay California [Purple Wine Co.] $11.00
Light yellow color; apple, tart pear nose; juicy, tart pear, tart apple, spice palate with good balancing acidity; medium finish (13.8% alcohol; a pretty honest $10 Chardonnay) 86 points
2012 Four Vines Chardonnay Naked Chardonnay California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County [Purple Wine Co.] $11.00
Light yellow color; pie crust, tart apple nose; juicy, tart apple, green pear palate; medium finish (13.9% alcohol) 86 points
2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay Washington, Columbia Valley [Ste. Michelle Wine Estates] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; baked apple, vanilla, nutmeg nose; baked apple, vanilla, nutmeg palate with lowish acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 85+ points
2013 Columbia Crest Chardonnay Grand Estates Washington, Columbia Valley [Ste. Michelle Wine Estates] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; vanilla, apple pie filling, nutmeg, baking spice nose; vanilla, baked apple, apple pie filling, nutmeg palate with lowish acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85+ points
2013 Once Upon a Vine Chardonnay The Fairest California, Sonoma County [Treasury Wine Estates] $11.00
Light straw yellow color; tart apple, tart pear, butter, light toast nose; juicy, apple, tart pear, butter palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85+ points
2013 Toasted Head Chardonnay Barrel Aged (R.H. Phillips) California [Constellation Brands] $11.00
Light yellow color; pear, pear cream, vanilla nose; vanilla, pear cream palate; medium finish (14% alcohol) 85+ points
2013 Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay Central Coast California, Central Coast [The Wine Group] $10.00
Light yellow color; pear, butter nose; pear, butter palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85 points
2013 Estancia Chardonnay California, Central Coast, Monterey County [Constellation Brands] $10.00
Light yellow color; apple, butter nose; apple, butter palate with lowish acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85 points
2013 Clos du Bois Chardonnay California [Constellation Brands] $11.00
Light yellow color; ripe peach, pear, sweet butter, vanilla nose; sweet butter, pear, vanilla palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85 points
2014 Myka Cellars Chardonnay Mitzi California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains $11.00
Light yellow color; apple, baked apple, apple butter nose; tart apple, baked pear palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.3% alcohol) 85 points
2013 Hahn Chardonnay Monterey County California, Central Coast, Monterey County $12.00
Light straw yellow color; savory, almond, lemon, sesame seed nose; medium bodied, green pear, almond, sesame seed palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (14.5% alcohol) 85 points
2014 Hogue Cellars Chardonnay Washington, Columbia Valley [Constellation Brands] $10.00
Light yellow color; pear, applesauce nose; pear, applesauce palate with near medium acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 84+ points
2013 Save Me, San Francisco Wine Co. Chardonnay Calling All Angels California, Napa Valley [The Wine Group] $10.00
Light yellow color; baked apple, ripe peach, nutmeg nose; apple, peach palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2012 Seaglass Chardonnay Unoaked California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County [Trinchero Family Estates] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; tart baked apple, applesauce nose; simple, one-note, tart baked apple palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2013 Sterling Vineyards Chardonnay Vintner’s Collection California, Central Coast [Treasury Wine Estates] $10.00
Light yellow color; pineapple, papaya, vanilla nose; pineapple, papaya, mango palate with some acidity and noticeable residual sugar; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2013 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay Bijou California [Treasury Wine Estates] $11.00
Light yellow color; vanilla, vanilla cream, creme caramel nose; vanilla, vanilla cream, creme caramel palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.4% alcohol) 84 points
2013 Edna Valley Vineyard Chardonnay Central Coast California, Central Coast [E&J Gallo] $11.00
Light straw yellow color; mango, papaya, vanilla nose; dull, pear, mango palate with some balancing acid; medium finish (13.8% alcohol) 84 points
2014 Kenwood Chardonnay Sonoma County California, Sonoma County [Pernod Ricard] $11.00
Light yellow color; pear, apple, vanilla, butterscotch nose; pear, apple, butter palate with lowish acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2013 Parducci Chardonnay Small Lot Blend California, North Coast, Mendocino County $11.00
Light straw yellow color; tart apple, nectarine nose; juicy, ripe apple, nectarine palate with lowish acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2013 The Hess Collection Chardonnay Hess Select California, Central Coast, Monterey $11.00
Light medium yellow color; ripe pear, vanilla, spice nose; pear, apple pie, honey, orange cream palate with low acidity and apparent residual sugar; medium finish (13.3% alcohol) 84 points
2014 De Loach Chardonnay Heritage Reserve California [Boisset Collection] $10.00
Light yellow color; reduction, mango, lemon cream nose; lemon, reduction, mango palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2012 Francis Ford Coppola Chardonnay Rosso & Bianco California $10.00
Light yellow color; reduction, ripe lemon, butter nose; near medium bodied, reduction, ripe grapefruit, tart apple palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2013 HandCraft Chardonnay California [Delicato Family Vyds] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; ripe apple, apple juice nose; ripe apple, apple juice palate with low acidity; medium finish (13% alcohol) 83 points
2014 Meridian Vineyards Chardonnay California California [Treasury Wine Estates] $10.00
Light yellow color; pineapple, ripe apple nose; ripe apple, pear, pineapple palate with some balancing acidity; short finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2014 Robert Mondavi Winery Chardonnay Private Selection California [Constellation Brands] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; apple, apple cream nose; apple, apple cream palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2013 Cartlidge & Browne Chardonnay California, North Coast [Vintage Wine Estates] $11.00
Light yellow color; guava, apple nose; ripe apple, guava, lime cream palate with some balancing acidity and noticeable residual sugar; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2013 Mark West Chardonnay California California [Constellation Brands] $11.00
Light yellow color; apple, baked pear, vanilla nose; baked pear, vanilla palate with low acidity; short-medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2013 Woodwork Wines Chardonnay Batch No. 12 California, Central Coast [Treasury Wine Estates] $11.00
Light straw yellow color; butter, oak, pie spice, vanilla nose; medium bodied, vanilla, baked pear, pie spice, oak palate with low acidity; short-medium finish (13% alcohol) 83 points
2013 The Other Guys Chardonnay Leese-Fitch California $10.00
Light straw yellow color; baked pear, apple nose; baked pear, light reduction, apple palate with some balancing acidity; short-medium finish (13.8% alcohol) 82+ points
2012 Folie à Deux Chardonnay Ménage à Trois White California [Trinchero Family Estates] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; butterscotch, baked apple, vanilla, lemon cream nose; butterscotch, vanilla, baked apple palate with virtually no acidity; medium finish (13.9% alcohol) 82 points
2012 Mirassou Vineyards Chardonnay California, Central Coast, Monterey County [E&J Gallo] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; apple butter, baked apple, pie spice nose; blowsy, baked apple, apple butter palate with low acidity; short-medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 82 points
2014 Firefly Ridge Chardonnay California, Central Coast [Safeway private label] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; candied apple, pear nectar nose; confected, apple gelee, pear nectar palate with low acidity and apparent residual sugar; short finish (13.5% alcohol) 79 points
2014 Concannon Vineyard Chardonnay Selected Vineyards California [The Wine Group] $10.00
Light yellow color; ripe pear, apple juice, applesauce nose; flabby, applesauce, pear juice palate with low acidity and noticeable residual sugar; short finish (13.5% alcohol) 77 points
2012 The Great American Wine Company by Rosenblum Chardonnay California, Sonoma County [Treasury Wine Estates] $10.00
Light straw yellow color; oak, mango, green papaya, reduction nose; mango, ripe papaya palate with low acidity; short finish (13.5% alcohol) 77 points
$13 to $15
2013 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Sonoma Coast California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast $13.00
Light yellow color; savory, butter, hazelnut cream, nutmeg nose; tasty, hazelnut cream, tart pear, nutmeg palate with good balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (14.5% alcohol) 89
2013 Foxglove Chardonnay Central Coast (Varner) California, Central Coast $14.00
Light lemon yellow color; ripe kumquat, fresh lemon nose; rich, medium bodied, lemon, lemon cream, pear cream palate with good balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.7% alcohol) 89 points
2013 Simi Chardonnay California, Sonoma County [Constellation Brands] $14.00
Light yellow color; lifted, tart pear, tart apple, spice, light nutmeg nose; tasty, poised, tart pear, lemon gelee palate with some balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 88+ points
2013 Jamieson Ranch Vineyards Chardonnay Light Horse California $13.00
Light yellow color; lemon gelee, pear gelee nose; light-medium bodied, tart lemon gelee, pear gelee palate; medium finish (13.9% alcohol) 88 points
2012 True Myth Chardonnay Paragon Vineyard California, Central Coast, Edna Valley $14.00
Light yellow color; ripe pear, baked apple, apple pie filling nose; tart pear, tart apple palate with good acidity; short-medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 87+
2013 Kirkland Signature Chardonnay Signature Series Russian River Valley California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley [Costco private label] $13.00
Light yellow color; savory, lemon cream, vanilla nose; medium bodied, creamy textured, lemon cream, vanilla palate with noticeable residual sugar; medium-plus finish (14.1% alcohol) 87 points
2013 St. Francis Chardonnay California, Sonoma County [Kobrand] $13.00
Light straw yellow color; lemon cream, apple pie filling, vanilla nose; flamboyant, creamy textured, lemon gelee, butter poached pear palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (14.5% alcohol) 87 points
2014 Clos LaChance Chardonnay California, Central Coast, Monterey County $13.00
Light straw yellow color; baked pear, apple, pear nectar, pie spice nose; pear nectar, apple, pie spice palate with some balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 86+ points
2013 Tom Gore Vineyards Chardonnay California, Central Coast $13.00
Light yellow color; almond, hazelnut, honey butter nose; almond cream, light hazelnut, vanilla palate with some balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 86+ points
2014 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Morning Fog Livermore Valley California, San Francisco Bay, Livermore Valley $13.00
Light yellow color; pear gelee, vanilla nose; pear gelee, vanilla, pear cream palate; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 86+ points
2013 Joyce Vineyards Chardonnay California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands $14.00
Light yellow color; tart apple, baked apple nose; tart apple, baked apple palate; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 86+ points
2013 Bonterra Vineyards Chardonnay California, North Coast, Mendocino County [Vina Concha y Toro S.A.] $13.00
Light yellow color; savory, nutmeg, peach cobbler, apricot, baking spice nose; medium bodied, luscious, baked peach, lemon gelee, nutmeg palate with some balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 86 points
2013 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay California, North Coast [Treasury Wine Estates] $13.00
Light yellow color; savory, toasted almond, oak, baking spice nose; medium bodied, ripe apple, apple butter palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.4% alcohol) 86 points
2013 Toad Hollow Chardonnay Francine’s Selection California, North Coast, Mendocino County [V2 Wine Group] $13.00
Light yellow color; vanilla, poached pear, apple gelee nose; pear, apple gelee, light vanilla palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.9% alcohol) 86 points
2013 Benziger Family Winery Chardonnay California, Sonoma County [The Wine Group] $14.00
Light yellow color; savory, tart baked apple, butter nose; medium bodied, tart baked apple, lemon cream palate with near medium acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 86 points
2013 Hahn Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands $14.00
Light yellow color; aromatic, ripe pear, floral, honeysuckle, vanilla nose; medium bodied, pear syrup, peach syrup, orange palate with some balancing acidity and noticeable residual sugar; medium finish (14.1% alcohol) 86 points
2012 William Hill Winery Chardonnay North Coast California, North Coast [E&J Gallo] $14.00
Light medium yellow color; butterscotch, mature, pastry, sweet butter nose; rich, medium bodied, sweet butter, baked pear palate with lowish acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 86 points
2013 Francis Ford Coppola Chardonnay Diamond Collection Gold Label California, Central Coast, Monterey County $13.00
Light yellow color; oak, apple, butter nose; rich, butter, oak, pear palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85+ points
2013 It’s a HeadSnapper Chardonnay California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley [The Wine Group] $13.00
Light straw yellow color; savory, butter, nutmeg, vanilla nose; nutmeg, lemon, vanilla palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85+ points
2014 J. Lohr Chardonnay Riverstone California, Central Coast, Arroyo Seco $13.00
Light straw yellow color; apple, almond nose; apple, almond palate with near medium acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85+ points
2013 Murphy-Goode Chardonnay California [Jackson Family Wines] $13.00
Light yellow color; butter, pear nose; butter, pear palate with medium acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85+ points
2013 Picket Fence Chardonnay California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley [Bronco Wine Co.] $13.00
Light lemon yellow color; odd, reduction, peanut oil nose; near medium bodied, lemon, peanut oil, safflower oil palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85+ points
2014 Benziger Family Winery Chardonnay California, Sonoma County [The Wine Group] $14.00
Light yellow color; lemon, apple, pear nose; tasty, vanilla, lemon, apple, pear palate; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 85+ points
2013 Pure Love Wines Chardonnay Layer Cake One Hundred Percent Pure California, Central Coast [Pure Love Wines] $13.00
Light straw yellow color; baked pear, baked apple, pie spice nose; apple gelee, baked pear, oak palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (14.5% alcohol) 84+ points
2014 Joel Gott Chardonnay Unoaked California [Trinchero Family Estates] $14.00
Light yellow color; apple, nutmeg nose; baked pear, baked apple, pie spice palate with lowish acidity; medium finish (13.9% alcohol) 84+ points
2012 Chloe Wines Chardonnay Chloe California, Sonoma County [The Wine Group] $13.00
Light yellow color; guava, reduction, oak, nutmeg nose; near medium bodied, guava, green apple, nutmeg palate with lowish acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2012 Columbia Winery Chardonnay Washington, Columbia Valley [E&J Gallo] $13.00
Light lemon yellow color; apple pie filling, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon custard nose; odd, apple pie filling, lemon custard palate with lowish acidity; medium finish (89% Chardonnay, 7% Semillon, 3% Chenin Blanc, 1% Other; 13.9% alcohol) 84 points
2013 Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Avant California [Jackson Family Wines] $13.00
Light yellow color; pear, pear cream nose; pear cream, apple palate; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2013 Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Vintner’s Reserve California [Jackson Family Wines] $13.00
Light straw yellow color; creme caramel, baked apple, nutmeg, vanilla nose; rich, baked pear, creme caramel, vanilla palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2013 Matchbook Chardonnay Old Head (Crew) California, Central Valley, Dunnigan Hills $13.00
Light straw yellow color; butter sauce, pie spice, apricot nose; medium bodied, sweet butter, apricot palate showing substantial residual sugar; medium finish (13.9% alcohol) 84 points
2013 McBride Sisters Chardonnay Truvee California, Central Coast $13.00
Light yellow color; green apple, reduction, lime, green melon, cinnamon nose; ripe green apple, green melon palate with some balancing acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2013 Simple Life Winery Chardonnay California [Don Sebastiani & Sons] $13.00
Light straw yellow color; apple, apple cream, lemon chiffon nose; apple cream, ripe pear, lemon cream palate with some balancing acidity; short-medium finish (93% Chardonnay, 7% Viognier; 13.5% alcohol) 84 points
2013 Cameron Hughes Chardonnay CAM Collection California, Central Coast, Monterey County [V2 Wine Group] $14.00
Light yellow color; reduction, lemon gelee, guava nose; one-dimensional, lemon gelee, guava palate with low acidity and noticeable residual sugar; medium finish (14.5% alcohol) 84 points
2014 Joseph Carr Chardonnay Josh Cellars California $13.00
Light yellow color; apple, apple cream nose; apple, apple cream palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2013 Seven Daughters Chardonnay California [Terlato Wines] $13.00
Light straw yellow color; applesauce, ripe apple, pie spice nose; light-medium bodied, applesauce, apple palate with some balancing acidity; tastes watered down though; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2013 Slow Press Wines Chardonnay California, Central Coast, Monterey County [The Wine Group] $13.00
Light yellow color; candied apple, caramel nose; medium bodied, apple, peach, caramel palate with low acidity and noticeable residual sugar; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 83 points
2014 Bogle Vineyards Chardonnay Essential California $13.00
Light straw yellow color; baked pear, peach, pie crust nose; juicy, baked pear, ripe peach palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 82
2013 Curious Beasts Wines Chardonnay California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley [Truett-Hurst, Inc.] $13.00
Light medium yellow color; oxidized apple, peach nectar nose; sweet, peach syrup, baked apple, pie spice palate with some balancing acidity and noticeable residual sugar; medium finish (14.5% alcohol) 82 points
2013 Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery Chardonnay Sonoma County California, Sonoma County [Foley Food & Wine Society] $13.00
Light straw yellow color; butterscotch, caramel, nutmeg nose; creamy textured, butterscotch, caramel, honey butter palate with low acidity; medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 82 points
2013 True Myth Chardonnay California, Central Coast, Edna Valley $14.00
Light yellow color; apple, reduction, green pea nose; odd, green apple, green pea, reduction palate with some balancing acidity but unattractive flavors, perhaps due to the reduction; short-medium finish (13.5% alcohol) 81 points
2014 Ca’ Momi Chardonnay California, Napa Valley $14.00
Light yellow color; apple, vanilla, rum nose; odd, ripe apple, pear syrup, vanilla palate with low acidity and substantial residual sugar, tasting more like a confected drink than a natural grape expression; medium finish (13.9% alcohol) 75 points
$16 to $19
2014 Alma Rosa Chardonnay Santa Barbara County California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County $19.00
Light yellow color; savory, lemon, lemon gelee, lemon verbena nose; tasty, juicy, tart lemon, lemon verbena, mineral palate with bright medium acidity; medium-plus finish (13.9% alcohol) 91+ points
2013 Cambria Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley [Jackson Family Wines] $17.00
Light lemon yellow color; savory, hazelnut, butter sauce, nutmeg nose; poised, savory, hazelnut, butter sauce, nutmeg palate with good balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (14.5% alcohol) 91 points
2013 Black Stallion Estate Winery Chardonnay California, Napa Valley [Delicato Family Vyds] $16.00
Light yellow color; tart apple, green apple, lime cream, green almond nose; tart apple, subtle spice, ripe pear palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (14.5% alcohol) 90+ points
2014 Husch Vineyards Chardonnay California, North Coast, Mendocino $16.00
Light lemon yellow color; vanilla, pear, light pie spice nose; poised, medium bodied, tart pear, lemon cream, vanilla palate with good balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.9% alcohol) 90+ points
2014 Carmel Road Chardonnay California, Central Coast, Monterey [Jackson Family Wines] $16.00
Light yellow color; aromatic, pear, honeysuckle, floral nose; tasty, bright, ripe pear, honeysuckle, pear cream palate with balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 90 points
2012 Gloria Ferrer Chardonnay California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros $16.00
Light lemon yellow color; tart pineapple, lemon, white jasmine nose; tart lemon, white jasmine palate with integrating oak; needs 1-plus year; medium-plus finish (13.5% alcohol) 89 points
2013 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay Indian Wells Washington, Columbia Valley [Ste. Michelle Wine Estates] $17.00
Light straw yellow color; aromatic, savory, gunpowder, butter nose; savory, butter, tart lemon, mineral palate with medium acidity; medium-plus finish (14% alcohol) 89 points
2013 Alexander Valley Vineyards Chardonnay California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley $16.00
Light yellow color; savory, applesauce, tart pear, apple nose; tasty, lemon, tart pear palate with good balancing acidity; medium finish (14% alcohol; 70% stainless steel, 30% French oak for 6-8 months) 88 points
2013 Cherry Pie (Hundred Acre) Chardonnay Cherry Tart California $19.00
Light straw yellow color; savory, toast, butter sauce, nutmeg, orange nose; medium bodied, butter sauce, tart apple, mango palate with good balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (14.3% alcohol; 40% Monterey Co., 30% Sonoma Co., 21% Napa Co.) 88 points
2013 Taken Wine Co. Chardonnay Complicated California, Sonoma County [Trinchero Family Estates] $17.00
Light straw yellow color; pear, light vanilla, apple, baked apple nose; juicy, honeysuckle, white jasmine, pear gelee palate with some balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.8% alcohol) 87+ points
2014 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Riva Ranch California, Central Coast, Arroyo Seco $19.00
Light straw yellow color; apple, butter poached pear nose; medium bodied, ripe apple, baked pear palate with some balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (14.5% alcohol) 87+ points
2013 Folie à Deux Chardonnay Russian River Valley California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley [Trinchero Family Estates] $16.00
Light straw yellow color; baked apple, pie spice, nutmeg, vanilla nose; vanilla, baked apple, pie spice palate with some balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (13.9% alcohol) 87 points
2013 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Chalk Hill California, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill $16.00
Light yellow color; apple pie filling, pie spice, nutmeg nose; pear nectar, vanilla, pie spice palate with some balancing acidity and noticeable residual sugar; medium-plus finish (14% alcohol) 87 points
2014 Byron Chardonnay Nielson by Byron California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County [Jackson Family Wines] $17.00
Light straw yellow color; pear, apple, fig nose; medium bodied, ripe apple, ri