Best of The Best: California Chardonnay
These exemplary ten — from 2006 and 2007 — really deliver the goods.
Chardonnay is California’s dominant fine wine grape, accounting for almost 95,000 acres of vines. It is also California’s most inconsistent fine wine grape, with an irksome tendency to disappoint. Indeed, whenever QRW sits down to taste California Chardonnay, we do so with trepidation, never quite knowing what to expect. Much of California Chardonnay’s choppiness has to do with misguided winemaking — with poor choices made in both the vineyard and the winery. Yet why this continues to be the case, we cannot clearly explain. All we can say conclusively is that finding top-notch examples of California Chardonnay is no easy task. Nonetheless, we persevere, as we did recently, bulling our way through eight dozen 2006 and 2007 California Chardonnay to uncover the following ten winners. But don’t let our earlier objurgations diminish these wines. They represent California Chardonnay at its very best. We only wish there were more like them.
Five-Star California Chardonnay
Wines of extraordinary character and quality —
in a class by themselves
BEST OF SHOW
2006 Stonestreet Chardonnay Upper Barn (Alexander Valley), $50.
Rich, creamy, pear-cobbler nose; lush, sexy, elegantly spun, pear, toast and citrus flavors — perfection itself.
2007 Barnett Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyard (Carneros), $32.
Big toast and toffee nose; plush, buttery, pear and nougat flavors.
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Laurie Hook, chief winemaker of Beringer |
2006 Beringer Chardonnay Private Reserve (Napa Valley), $35.
Big, ripe, toasty nose; rich yet well-focused butter and tropical fruit flavors.
2006 Cuvaison Chardonnay S Block (Carneros), $38.
Delicately nutty nose; crisp, almondy, lemon curd/pear flavors, elegant and lush.
2006 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay Dominique (Russian River Valley), $38.
Nice, ripe, strict-varietal nose; fresh, zesty, pear, spice and tropical fruit flavors.
BEST VALUE
2007 J. Lohr Chardonnay, Riverstone (Arroyo Seco), $14.
Well-knit, with ripe, concentrated, toast and tropical fruit flavors.
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Forest Glen’s Fred Franzia |
2004 Forest Glen Chardonnay Reserve (Sonoma County), $20.
Big, focused, nutty, ripe, tropical fruit flavors.
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Sara Fowler, winemaker, and Herta Peju, owner of Peju winery |
2007 Peju Province Chardonnay Persephone Vineyard (Napa Valley), $28.
Seductive, come-hither, almond nose; lush, nutty, well-knit pear and lemon flavors.
2006 Robert Mondavi Chardonnay Reserve (Napa Valley), $40.
Big, lush, elegant, creamy, with pear and citrus flavors.
2006 Simi Chardonnay Reserve (Russian River Valley), $26.
Exuberantly nutty nose; lush, elegant, finely turned, toast and citrus flavors.
Cheers!
Eddie Nickell
Funky Monkey Wine Company
