Chalone Chardonnay

Name: Chalone Vineyards
Color: White
Varietal: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: California
Region: Monterey
Price: $9
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

This was a fantastic Chardonnay for the price. We drank this wine last night with an Asian chicken salad and thought it was terrific...The color was a brilliant yellow-gold, and the nose was bright white fruits (apples, pears, citrus). The taste I picked up most was creamy, buttery apples. It was very smooth and very well balanced with just the right amount of acidity. It had a nice, medium body with a very good mouthfeel. This is a very versatile wine that would match up well with many dishes.

Coincidentally, the Chalone Chardonnay was one of the five American Chard's recently recommended by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher of the Wall Street Journal's Tastings column. They bought and tasted more than 50 Chard's and found most to be boring with a lemony, oaky water taste. The Chalone was a standout, however, so much so that it was rated "Very Good" and named the "Best Value". My tastes generally tend to agree with theirs, and this wine was no exception. Krista and I really enjoyed it and will definitely buy it again.


Just one note: this was the "regular" Monterey bottling, not the more expensive "Estate" bottling.