United States Chardonnay

Organic/Bio A tribute from Stephen to his wife and partner, Niki. As he explains, “The night Niki and Stephen met, they half-jokingly agreed to move to Oregon to start a family and farm. Eight weeks later they stood on the... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV As always, one of the best values in top-notch Willamette Valley Chardonnay. It's from vines planted 1977-1999 on the estate, picked ripe and fresh (13.1% abv), and fermented and aged in French oak. Definitely... Read More

Organic/Bio As Wine Advocate says in the 97 point rave, The 2021 Chardonnay Casteel is complex and alluring, offering dynamic aromas and flavors as it unfurls with oxygen over several days. The nose offers lemon peel and panna... Read More

From all estate fruit fermented and aged in French oak, this is richer, deeper and more ripe-tasting than many Willamette Valley Chards. As Suckling says in the 92 point write-up, “A substantial and well-balanced wine that... Read More

Wine Enthusiast captures the fun and tasty personality of this barrel-aged, Oregon, Chardonnay nicely in the 90 point review: “The aromatic set of lemon, lime and lychee is a tropical Chardonnay paradise. A wisp of plumeria... Read More

Bouchaine releases its Chardonnays late so they have a chance to really flower in bottle. Like here, where the oak has integrated with the rich pear fruit and acids come up to keep things fresh and highly drinkable. As Suckling... Read More

Unless you taste a lot of California Chardonnay, it can be hard to realize how big an accomplishment Bartholomew Broadbent has pulled off here. It's 100% Chardonnay, picked ripe and full of pear and stone fruit flavors perfectly... Read More

A terrific Chardonnay with just the right balance of creaminess of texture, fresh fruit and golden butter caramel spice. Fine with food, fine solo - really, just very fine! As Jeb Dunnuck says in the 92 point review, Dierberg... Read More

Lower ABV We’re not even going to try to explain the premise behind Curt Schalchlin and Andrew Jones’s “Fable” approach to naming wines. But the wine in the bottle here is very good Chardonnay indeed, loaded... Read More

Willamette Valley Chard can be all kinds of things. This one aims for delicious and hits the mark perfectly. Lovely Golden Delicious apple and crisp pear fruit are framed with a bit of buttered tart crus and a nice chalky minerality.... Read More

Hanzell is one of the few wineries that both helped drive the creation and fame of the California wine industry and that still turns out great wines today. It was founded in 1954 by Ambassador James D. Zellerbach to make wines... Read More

One of the more impressively delicious California Chardonnays we've had recently, showing how putting perfectly ripe, low-yield, fruit into barrel (28% new) can yield a wine that's creamy, deep, mineral and not really... Read More

Another great release of this, our all-time best-selling premium California Chardonnay. As always, it blends fruit from across the Sonoma Coast AVA including Carneros, the southern Russian River and cooler sites to the west. As... Read More

Lower ABV Steve and Jill Klein Matthiasson make elegant, restrained, wines that still let you know they're from California. Like here in vibrant, generously ripe, Chardonnay from just outside Oak Knoll in Napa. Done in old... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV This is seriously good California Chardonnay in a fun style from the very serious guys at Model Farm. The fruit is all from sites 1,000 feet or higher elevation, farmed organically, fermented with native... Read More

Organic/Bio Joanna Wells and Sean Castorani make mountain wine - wine only from California vineyards at 1,000 feet elevation and above. Here they're working on Wildcat Mountain in Carneros where fog and wind from the bay nearby... Read More

Luc Morlet still consults at Peter Michael while making his own wine that sits right up there with Peter Michael in terms of quality and depth. This is a stunner, perfectly balancing richness of texture with bold fruit and deep... Read More

We like Wine Spectator's description so much, we're going to use it here: Rich and bold up front, offering plenty of honeysuckle and spice notes. A drizzle of wildflower honey and a toast detail complement flavors of apricot... Read More

One of America's most popular premium Chardonnays is, as usual, a perfect blend of satisfying richness and food-friendly verve. It's a blend of fruit from cool Carneros and warmer St Helena fermented and aged in steel... Read More

Another terrific release of this long-time California Chardonnay value champ. It shows the ripe fruit you'd expect from California with Santa Barbara's distinctive freshness and a very light touch with oak. It's generously... Read More

Unlike their grandfather, Robert, and dad Tim (at Continuum), Carlo and Dante leave Cabernet to others and focus on Burgundy's Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The style matches California ripeness with Burgundian minerality to... Read More

Lower ABV From one of the smallest standalone wineries in Napa (just 2,000 cases per year), this is the kind of handcrafted, elegant and delightful Chardonnay that should sell for 50% more (but don’t tell Sean and Juliana!).... Read More

As Vinous says in the 92 point review, The 2022 Chardonnay Estate is a total knockout. Bold, punchy and immediate, the 2022 is absolutely irresistible. A rush of ripe apricot, pear, white flowers, spice and chamomile makes a strong... Read More

Another great vintage, and last year's 90 point Vinous review very much applies: Soft, supple and absolutely delicious. Light tropical notes, lemon confit, white flowers and bright acids give striking nuance as well as character.... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Ken and Erica are among the leading proponents of Willamette Valley Chardonnay – in fact, a bit more than half their production is now Burgundy’s fine white grape. While most of their volume is... Read More