Chardonnay varies greatly with climate, soil and winemaking - but it adapts just about anywhere, which is what makes it so popular. Cooler climates like New Zealand and Chablis lead to crisp, acid-prone wines, while warmer climates like Southern California and Australia foster riper grapes that create heavier wine leaning towards tropical fruit flavors. So specific are the soils of Burgundy, the wines of the region show subtle notes of mineral and chalk that belie their origin. Chardonnay adapts itself to oak very well, as one may taste in many of the wines.
Narrowing Criteria: Chardonnay (expand); Under $10 (expand)
Varietal: Chardonnay | Location: United States - California
Barefoot Chardonnay is a delightful wine with tempting flavors of green apples and peaches. Hints of honey and vanilla enhance the rich, buttery finish.
Varietal: Chardonnay | Location: United States - California
Swirl this Chardonnay and indulge in its rich aromas of pear, apple and tropical fruit. Hints of vanilla and toasty oak spices come from oak fermentation, while a floral note is from a splash of Viognier. Sip and discover silky layers reminiscent of pineapple, melon, fig and baked apple. The lingering, fruity finish is laced with creÌ€me bruÌ‚leÌe nuances. This wine’s lush flavors and crisp acidity pair especially well with creamy dishes; our favorites include clam chowder, smoked salmon angel hair pasta, four-cheese risotto, and chicken with tarragon cream sauce.
Varietal: Chardonnay | Location: France - Burgundy - Mâcon
Whether you are a White Burgundy lover on a budget, or just someone looking for a great house white for everyday imbibing or for parties/weddings/social functions, Cave de Lugny Macon-Villages "La Cote Blanche" is as close to a no-brainer as anything I've ever come across. Despite the absurdly low price, it gives me the sophistication I look for in $25 White Burgundies – nervy, energetic fruit, subtle minerality, and, most elusively of all, the sheer joie de vivre that only well-made White Burgundy can convey. A virtual clone of the 2010 vintage, named Decanter’s #1 Chardonnay under $15, the 2011 "La Cote Blanche" offers up fresh, Chablis-like mineral, yellow fruit and floral notes, followed on the palate, by light, bright, flavors of fresh cut apple, pear, and white flowers. Completely unoaked, it has a sneaky intensity of flavor that persists right through to the energetic finish. -- Ben Giliberti, CW Director of Wine Education
Varietal: Chardonnay | Location: United States - California - Sonoma
This classic Sonoma County Chardonnay displays bright aromas of lemon cream, mango and notes of toasted hazelnut. This wine has a subtle elegance with a lingering finish.
Varietal: Chardonnay | Location: United States - Washington - Columbia Valley
It is the goal of Head Winemaker Bob Bertheau to make it a pleasurable, food-friendly wine. This is a fresh, soft style of Chardonnay with bright apple and citrus fruit character with subtle spice and oak nuances. We blend Chardonnay grapes from vineyards all over Washington's Columbia Valley to make this a complex, interesting wine. Sur lie aged for more than six months in a mix of French and American oak barrels (10% new) with regular stirring to soften the wine and integrate fruit and oak flavors.
Varietal: Chardonnay | Location: United States - California - Sonoma
Following its brilliant, silver straw-yellow hue, this Chardonnay has intense primary aromas of apple blossom, ripe pear and sweet lemon drop, complemented by toasty oak, spice and cream. The wine’s silky smooth texture is overlaid with bright juicy flavors of rich, ripe apple and pear, lingering into a fresh, satisfying finish. This rich, silky Chardonnay is ideal with lobster and other shellfish, especially if served in a butter or cream sauce, roasted poultry or other white meats, creamy pasta dishes, a buttery mushroom omelet or any meal tinged with sweet spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger.