Reviews

Maybach Family Vineyards Chardonnay Eterium

Bright, lively, and hyper-crip flavors of yellow citrus, Asian pear, green apple, lemon oil, pumice, and hints of vanilla alcohol. A wake-you-up-in-the-morning fresh water splash attack, with bracing…

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

Pleasant and giving, with ripe lemon curd, popcorn, and vanilla flavors. A touch simple, but kicking out just the right amount of flavor. Purity of fruit is notable, especially given the QPR. Love it…

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes

A cutting and enticingly biting specimen, with white and yellow citrus, green apple, white flowers, lees, limestone, gray slate, and hints of almond dust. A lot of energy here, with a swift delivery…

Aubert Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard

Exactly what I expect from Aubert's interpretation of the Hudson site. Flavorful and giving notes of luscious yellow citrus, lemon curd, pineapple, fresh vanilla bean, poached pear, ripe green apple,…

Maxem Chardonnay UV Vineyard

Barrel sample. From the UV Vineyard. Fresh and lively notes of yellow citrus, Asian pear, white melon, lemon zest, lemon grass, sourdough, candied ginger, wet granite, and some spice.

FEL Chardonnay Savoy Vineyard

Buttered popcorn, creamy vanilla, lemon curd, and some subtle nutmeg. A little chubby around the edges. A bit of dad-bod going on with this wine. The flavors were decent and the purity of fruit…

Vice Versa Chardonnay Platt Vineyard

My previous notes apply. One of the best examples of sophistication in this varietal on a domestic level that I've experienced. Aubert look out...VV Platt Chardonnay is coming! So many fascinating…

B Cellars Chardonnay Barrel Select

A beautiful expression of the varietal. Captivating notes of ripe yellow citrus, poached pear, lemon curd, vanilla bean, fresh olive oil, lemon oil, and faint whispers of flint and pumice. Creamy and…

Bacio Divino Chardonnay Lucie Dutton Ranch

A pleasant and agreeable Chardonnay with palate-pleasing notes of refreshing yellow citrus fruit, popcorn, vanilla, pumice, and subtle grass. A "nice" short term sipper that cuts a good line between…

Buoncristiani Chardonnay

This Chardonnay strikes a nice balance between the plushness of a domestic white and the restraint of a more classical version of the varietal. Fresh and fairly lively, with decent energy and lift to…

Shafer Chardonnay Red Shoulder Ranch

Notes of green apple, Asian pear, lemon verbena, tropical fruit, acacia, and some sea salt. The initial attack started out smooth and enveloping (characteristically as most rounded-out Nor-Cal…

Aubert Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard

This is certainly starting to come around even more since last year. Some time in bottle has allowed additional flavors to emerge in a way that further elevates this wine into a more sophisticated…

Stephen & Walker Trust Winery Limited Chardonnay Late Harvest

Same as my previous notes on this wine. Unctuous and filling without ever being heavy or overly cloying. Candied lemon and orange peel, crystalized honey, dried apricot, and orange marmalade. This…

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard

Same as previous notes. This was served side-by-side with a Del Dotto Chardonnay, with the DD coming off more buttery and rich. The RM maintained a much more sophisticated complexity and had an…

Del Dotto Chardonnay Cinghiale Vineyard

Same as my previous notes a couple of months ago. Served next to a 2013 Rivers Marie B. Thieriot Chardonnay, which I thought was much more sophisticated and complex. Still, the Del Dotto performed…

Williams Selyem Chardonnay Lewis MacGregor Estate Vineyard

Previous notes apply, but this needs about an hour or so of decanted air to really come to life. PnP was tight and acidic, with some coiled-up tension that masked some of the pure yellow citrus core…

Argot Estate Vineyard Sonoma Mountain

Previous notes apply. A little more alcohol on the back end, washing over some of the core fruit on the last bit of the finish. Still a very good bottle of Chardonnay. Good to drink now, but I think…

Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard

Same as previous notes. Nice vanilla, butter, and lemon citrus/curd notes. Traditional in many respects, but truly tasty. It maintained a nice brightness throughout consumption. Good acidity, with a…

Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Still awesome and a little difficult to find much fault with this wine (or most Aubert Chardonnays really). Maybe not my favorite Aubert when compared to CIX or Lauren, but that…

Bernardus Winery Chardonnay

"Not too bad" was the phrase we heard most of the night. Certainly some butter and oak on the attack, but some decent yellow citrus notes and some acid to add interest and hold it all together.…

Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Veuve Clemence Brut Blanc de Blancs

Of the three sparklers served at the table, this was the best expression of the trio in terms of overall purity, complexity, cut, and balance. Sophisticated notes of Asian pear, green apple pie,…

Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Nth Degree

This wine struck a nice balance between voluptuousness and verve, with deep lemon citrus, lemon curd, toasted marshmallow, and some ripe pear notes. A little rich and heavy, especially on the back…

Murrieta's Well Chardonnay Small Lot

A nice example of the varietal, with classic yellow citrus and light lemon and pear flavors. Some vanilla on the back end. Paired well with lemon chèvre.

Nottingham Cellars Chardonnay Fraser-Howard Vineyard

Yellow citrus, ripe lemon, hazelnut, lamp oil, and some burnt butter flavors competed with each other for center stage. A tad reductive and ripe for such a young Chardonnay. A decent sipper…

Occasio Chardonnay del Arroyo

Round and full with a buttered popcorn flavor that rode a bit over the traditional yellow citrus notes. Purity of fruit was nice, as was the supple finish that rounded out the back end decently.…