9th of June 2026

Login

WINERY DIRECTORY

Featured Wines

Search Wines

Select a Vintage, Varietal or Appellation, or enter a phrase below.

Vintage:

Varietal:

Appellation:

Search for:

Recently Added Wines

Add your wines

2018 uiohduiwohduiwo` York Mountian Winery

1337 Namesnipes Wine Clos La Chance Wines

2012 Fagus Bodegas Aragonesas

2010 Fagus X Aniversario Bodegas Aragonesas

2011 Oxia Bodegas Aragonesas

View More...	100 newest

Wine Guide > Chardonnay

Chardonnay

20308 visitors

Chardonnay is a versatile grape. In cold regions such as Chablis, it shows crisp acidity and flavours of green hay with the flinty notes typical of the terroir - the wine even has a green tinge. Just 100 miles south, in the CÃ´te de Beaune, the white Burgundies are much riper and richer, reflecting warmer conditions and the increasing use of oak.

Chardonnay wines taste very different when the vines are grown in hot climates such as those in the plains of California and Australia. The conditions ensure ripe grapes, which lead to high levels of alcohol in the wine, and rich flavours of peach, melon, citrus and tropical fruits. In the 1980â€™s and 1990â€™s many New World winemakers responded to these bold flavours with equally bold use of oak, ageing the wine for long periods in new oak barrels. The cheap way to add oakiness would be the addition of staves or wood chips to wine in stainless steel containers. The intention was to impart complexity to the wines by introducing desirable aromas of vanilla, caramel, and butteriness. Too often the result tasted like chewing on a piece of wood, and this led to something of a consumer backlash against heavy, oaky Chardonnays. Winemakers in Australia and New Zealand reacted with completely unoaked Chardonnays from cooler climates, whereas in the United States there was more emphasis on controlling the oaking process. Thus they experimented with oak from different sources (French, American, Central European oaks all have different effects on wine), with different treatments (for instance toasting the barrels imparts smokiness and toast flavours) and reduced the oak influence by using bigger barrels (which have less oak per volume of wine), oaking only some of the wine in the blend, or using a mix of harsh new oak and older barrels.

More information on Chardonnay

Food Pairing: Pairs well with any poultry and Vietnamese cuisine. Wonderful with fruits, strong cheeses and capers. Also works beautifully with grilled freshwater fish. On a hot day, a very cold chardonnay served with a plate of figs, balsamic vinegar, and a salty hard

381 wines

Sort by: Winery / Price

Jump to page:

Lambert Bridge Winery

Rate this wine

2005 Chardonnay
Sonoma County

This classic barrel fermented Chardonnay is balanced and clean with complex aromatics and a crisp lingering finish. The wine has completed malolactic fermentation yielding richness ...more while retaining a ripe fruit impression on the palate. Accented by sweet oak, this wine has hints of pear and butterscotch giving it a smooth yet rich mouthfeel.

While fresh with focused complexity, this Chardonnay is food friendly and perfect with this seasonâ€™s Dungeness Crab. We recommend serving the 2005 vintage with baked rigatoni alfredo, oven roasted chicken or steamed mussels and clams.

^$32.00

Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards

Rate this wine

2006 Chardonnay
Santa Maria Valley

This wine derives from grapes grown in our Goodchild Vineyard. This award winning vineyard, located along Foxen Canyon Road near the village of Sisquoc in the Santa Maria Valley pr ...moreoduces consistently outstanding Chardonnay. For this bottling we selected our oldest vines which ripen slowly in this cool climate. The hand harvested grapes were whole cluster pressed and fermented in French oak barrels, two-thirds of which were new. The wine completed a natural secondary fermentation while in barrel. This is a rich and luscious Chardonnay with trademark aromas of ripe tropical fruits and toasty, pineapple and mango-like flavors.

^$22.00

Castoro Cellars

Rate this wine

2005 Chardonnay
Central Coast

This wine is rich in every sense. We have blended several local vineyards; Hog Canyon, Blind Faith and Abernathy, to create a complex wine full of citrus and apple notes. Roughly f ...moreifty percent of this vintage underwent barrel fermentation. The barrel fermenting and subsequent aging has contributed oak aromas with a lush mouth feel and a lingering crisp finish. This wine will complement any seafood and really stand out with rich cream sauces on pasta or chicken. Serve only slightly chilled to allow the aromas to fully open up.

^$13.95

MacRostie Winery & Vineyards

Rate this wine

2006 Chardonnay Carneros
Carneros

In the glass, this nuanced Carneros Chardonnay is a beautiful pale gold, offering inviting aromatics reminiscent of baked custard and lemon oil. On the palate the wine reveals bala ...morenced layers of apple and tropical fruit, accented by a hint of enticing cinnamon spice. The finish is clean, crisp and refreshing, inviting another sip. Though already drinking beautifully, this wine will only gain depth and texture with a few months in bottle.

^$23.00

MacRostie Winery & Vineyards

Rate this wine

2005 Chardonnay, Wildcat Mountain Vineyard
Sonoma Coast

Pale Straw in color, with aromas of lemon oil, vanilla caramel and gunflint. In the mouth there is ripe honeydew melon, citrus, and spiced apple. A richly textured but elegantly st ...moreructured wine with a lot of flavor impact and a long life ahead.

^$35.00

Renaissance Winery

Rate this wine

1994 Chardonnay

Two thirds of this wine was fermented and aged sur-lie in oak barrels (French, German and American, about 50% new), the balance was fermented and aged on its primary lees in stainl ...moreess steel tanks. The barrel-fermented portion underwent malo-lactic fermentation, while the tank-fermented portion did not, to preserve more of its primary fruity aromas.

^$35.00

Merryvale Vineyards

Rate this wine

2005 Starmont Chardonnay
Napa Valley

Aromas of exotic fruit, ripe peach, green apple, with a hint of vanilla and spice. This Starmont Chardonnay has a round impression on the palate, a slight richness from the sur lie ...more barrel aging, and has a clean, silky finish.

Merryvale Vineyards

Rate this wine

2004 Merryvale Chardonnay Carneros Reserve
Carneros

This wine was carefully assembled from our best lots from the cool Carneros viticultural area both in Napa and Sonoma. It is mostly a combination of wines made from Dijon clones an ...mored flavorful and low-yielding Seeâ€™s selection vines. The flavor of the fruit is complemented by the toasty oak spice, richness and complexity of native yeast fermentation in new French oak barrels. Due to relatively warm, dry weather in early spring, budbreak started very early in 2004 and the first stages of vine growth went very quickly.

^$29.50

Merryvale Vineyards

Rate this wine

2003 Merryvale Chardonnay Silhouette
Napa Valley

This wine was selected barrel by barrel from our finest NapaValley Chardonnay lots. All of the lots were from the cool end of NapaValley, either in the windy Carneros or just north ...more of the city limits of Napa. The vineyards are mostly planted with Dijon clones which produce low yields and concentrated, intensely flavored fruit. Each lot was fermented in predominantly new French oak barrels from our favorite coopers. All of the wine was uninoculated and fermented with native yeast, a method that accentuates the richness of the wineâ€™s mouthfeel. The wine is dense, rich and complex, with a long smoky, toasty oak finish.

^$45.00

White Oak Winery

Rate this wine

2005 Chardonnay
Russian River

Full bodied, round, good depth of fruit, medium long finish. Flavors of citrus fruit, apple, lime, roasted nut and toasted oak.

^$20.00

St. Francis Winery

Rate this wine

2005 Chardonnay
Wild Oak, Sonoma County

Wild Oak Chardonnay is a crisp yet full-bodied chardonnay that offers plush fruit in a clearly Burgundian context. The blend draws on outstanding sections of eight vineyards in div ...moreerse parts of Sonoma County, including the St. Francis Estate in Sonoma Valley. About one-third is from the Yamakawa Vineyard in the wind-chilled Carneros-Sonoma AVA, which lends a high-toned purity and lemon chiffon flavor with bracing acidity. Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and Russian River Valley impart floral overtones, a touch of tropical fruit, and pinpoint acid balance, all finished with a wonderfully creamy texture and the butterscotch-vanilla undertones from French oak.

^$25.00

St. Francis Winery

Rate this wine

2005 Chardonnay
Yamakawa Vineyard, Carneros

This exceptional Chardonnay was created from the grapes of the Yamakawa Vineyard located in the Carneros region. It displays a typical Carneros fruitiness and crispness, balanced b ...morey good acidity and a touch of oak.We hand-pick at full ripeness to ensure intensity and concentration of ﬂavors.The wine is then fermented in new and one year old French oak barrels with a 100% malolactic treatment.The wine is aged for ten months, with an occasional stirring of the lees.

^$19.00

Blackjack Ranch Winery

Rate this wine

2005 Chardonnay Reserve
Wilkening Vineyard

I love this version of the Wilkening chardonnay. Actually it ranks up there with the 1997 as one of my all time favorites from this vineyard. Intriguing and fascinating with an aty ...morepical steely backbone. Somewhat laid back and destined to peak in 2008. This is an old vine chardonnay planted in 1981 on an east facing slope overlooking Ballard Canyon Road, just southwest of Los Olivos. Multiple layers of honeysuckle, pineapple, movie theater popcorn butter, coconut, papaya, and mango followed by a deep, long, lingering finish. No malolactic fermentation. Most guests score it around 94+ points. 554 cases produced.

^$38.00

Blackjack Ranch Winery

Rate this wine

2006 Chardonnay â€œ21â€

Its difficult to describe this wine accurately without sounding like a salesperson. Simply put you will not find a deeper, richer, chardonnay in this price range, anywhere. I drank ...more one the other night at Matteis and scored it 94 points. I urge you to load up on this wine. Remember, you know where to find me if you disagree. Parker gave the 2005 version 90 points. Although he has not yet tasted this new release I assure you it is one of the best chardonnay values in the world!!!!

^$21.00

Blackjack Ranch Winery

Rate this wine

2005 Chardonnay â€œBlack Cap Reserveâ€

Probably the single greatest chardonnay we have ever produced. This comes from the very, very special block immediately in front of the winery/tasting room. Clone 76 (Dijon) fruit ...moreoffers unbelievable concentration and complexity.

^$55.00

Blockheadia Winery

CAW Rating: 80

100

1 reviews

2005 Chardonnay
Napa Valley

Chardonnay grapes fermented and aged exclusively in stainless steel tanks. This process allows for the purest extraction of fruit and mineral resulting in a wine that brightens rat ...moreher than dominates cuisine.

Addamo Estate Vineyards

Rate this wine

2005 Reserve Chardonnay
Santa Maria Valley

This beautifully balanced, medium-bodied wine is equally pleasurable from the porch to your dinner table. Its light straw color embodies very full flavors with notes of vanilla and ...more creme brulee which are backed by ripe tones of anjou pear and yellow apple.

^$29.00

Homewood Winery

CAW Rating: 100

100

1 reviews

2004 Carneros Chardonnay
Ã–dmann Vineyard

Fresh sweet apple, honey rich mouthfeel

^$20.00

Screaming Jack

Rate this wine

2005 Screaming Jack Unoaked Chardonnay
Santa Barbara, Carneros

This wine opens with beautiful aromas tropical fruit that lead into a stacked deck of pineapple, melon and caramel apple flavors all coming together on the lingering finish full of ...more bananas and fresh fruit flavors that are sure to be a winner.

Carmody McKnight Estate Wines

Rate this wine

2006 Day in the Country Estate Grown Chardonnay

The story and the style of this wine is a revelation, a breath of fresh country air for those seeking a way out of oak-dominated Chardonnay. This estate and limestone grown Day in ...morethe Country is a signature of the vineyard -- of the one-of-a-kind soils and sub-soils. This cutting edge wine is the most profound affirmation of the varietal -- "real" Chardonnay for the first time!

Sort by: Winery / Price

Jump to page:

Showcase Wineries

Zayante Vineyards (5)

Roudon-Smith Winery (6)

Featured Wines

Top Rated Chardonnay

2004 Carneros Chardonnay
Ã–dmann Vineyard

CAW Rating: 100

100

1 reviews

Fresh sweet apple, honey rich mouthfeel

More Chardonnay Ratings

Combined Rating
100.0 1 reviews	2006 Estate Chardonnay Wiens Family Cellars
Flavor
5.0 1 reviews	2006 Estate Chardonnay Wiens Family Cellars
Impression
5.0 1 reviews	2006 Estate Chardonnay Wiens Family Cellars
Bouquet
5.0 1 reviews	2006 Estate Chardonnay Wiens Family Cellars

WINE JOBS

WINE EVENTS

WINE GUIDE

WINERY DIRECTORY

Featured Wines

Search Wines

Recently Added Wines

Chardonnay

Showcase Wineries

Featured Wines

Top Rated Chardonnay