Seek out these 10 enjoyable Chardonnays

Chardonnay is America’s favorite wine, and it’s No. 1 in Washington, one of the state’s “big four” wine varieties.

In the Old World, Chardonnay is best known in Burgundy, where it is the white wine of choice. In Chablis, a region of Burgundy, Chardonnay becomes a different style of wine with less of the oak and butter notes we’ve come to expect and more of the dramatic flint and citrus notes.

In Champagne, Chardonnay is one of the primary grapes used to make sparkling wine (along with Pinot Noir).

In the New World, California is by far the largest producer of Chardonnay. The “California style” for Chardonnay that developed over the past two decades has been a wine that is ripe, a touch sweet and oaky with rich, buttery flavors.

In the past few years, a backlash against this style has led to more austere Chardonnays. So now we are seeing wines labeled as “unoaked” to signal us that we will experience a Chardonnay that is more steely and fruit-driven in nature.

Both styles have their place, with the buttery styles working as cocktail sippers and the “tree-free” examples pairing better with shellfish, pasta and chicken.

As we mentioned, Chardonnay is the top wine grape in Washington, followed closely by Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Here are some Northwest Chardonnays we’ve enjoyed in recent weeks. Ask for them at your favorite wine merchant or contact the winery directly.

Waterbrook Winery 2011 Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $15: This opens with aromas of pear, apricot, apple and a hint of butter, followed by fruit-driven flavors of Asian pear and buttered popcorn.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2010 Canoe Ridge Estate Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Hills, $22: Coming from a cool vintage, this opens with aromas of baked apple, poached pear, butter and apricot, followed by flavors of butter, pineapple and butterscotch.

Boomtown 2011 Chardonnay, Washington, $16: This starts with notes of freshly sliced lemon and just-pressed apple cider, backed by pineapple and slate notes. It is fruit-forward and food-friendly with fleshy apple and pear flavors on the entry.

Cloudlift Cellars 2011 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $18: The toast on this Chardonnay shows in the nose, backed by hints of chicken stock and earthiness. Oak stands a bit taller on the palate among flavors of lemon custard, vanilla, butterscotch and lime.

Mercer Canyons 2011 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $13: Aromas of dusty pear, starfruit, lemon and jasmine are supported by flavors of pear, Braeburn apple, lemon curd and jicama. A scrape of lemon zest gives it extra lift at the end.

L’Ecole No. 41 2011 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $22: One of Walla Walla’s iconic wineries continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year with a delicious Chardonnay that blends tropical and orchard notes with a balanced use of French oak.

Gordon Family Estate 2012 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $14: This Chardonnay opens with aromas of lime zest, lemon, celery and mint, followed by flavors of fresh caramel, Asian pear and jicama, all backed with bright acidity.

Smasne Cellars 2011 Upland Vineyard Chardonnay, Snipes Mountain, $20: This wine opens with aromas of candy corn, baked apple, butterscotch and pineapple, followed by juicy flavors of apple, fruit cocktail and butter rum candy. This is a delicious cocktail wine.

Vin du Lac of Chelan 2011 Barrel Select Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $25: This Chardonnay from a Lake Chelan winery opens with aromas that reminded us of lemon meringue pie, pineapple, guava and oak, followed by flavors of citrus, pear and tropical fruit.

Fujishin Family Cellars 2011 Late Harvest Chardonnay, Snake River Valley, $22: Here’s a delicious and rare Chardonnay dessert wine. It opens with aromas of baked apple pie and flavors of poached pear and apricot, backed with enough acidity to balance the residual sugar of 6 percent.

Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue run Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.