It sure felt like California Chardonnay weather yesterday. Here are a few of the best we’ve sampled recently, all of them from up north.
- Frank Family Vineyards 2013 Carneros Chardonnay ($34): Tropical fruit, slightly buttery. Fruit-forward and balanced, dominated by notes of pear and pineapple. From one of our favorite Napa Chardonnay producers.
- J Vineyards 2013 Russian River Estate Chardonnay ($28): Zesty citrus and a big dollop of pineapple on the nose. You’ll get peaches, maybe pear, and a bright, clean finish. A reliable NoCal label, always delivering excellent value at reasonable prices.
- Joullian 2013 Monterey Chardonnay ($25): Done sur lie, which gives this wine fantastic fruit, seductive creaminess and a complex finish with a hint of hazelnut. The grapes are from some of America’s oldest commercial Chardonnay vines, more than four decades old. One of the best wineries based in the tiny Carmel Valley. Worth the short trip down from Carmel just to visit their tasting room.
- Joullian 2013 Arroyo Seco Chardonnay Roger Rose Vineyard ($30): Like Joullian’s Monterey Chardonnay, squared. Exceptional fruit, fantastic balance, multilayered to the max. One of the best Chardonnays I’ve tasted this year.
- Talbott 2013 Logan Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay ($42): Estate Chardonnay from one of the premiere vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, which is where some of California’s best Chards and Pinots are emanating from these days. Big hits of peach, pear and tart apple which shift to oak and toasty brioche notes. Incredibly smooth mouthfeel.