I am not the biggest fan of Chardonnay’s, that is the oaked version, not the unoaked version which I really enjoy. In saying that, I still enjoy sampling Chardonnay’s, and recently I had the opportunity to sample the 2011 Darkhorse Chardonnay. The nose of this wine had aromas of apples, pears, tropical fruit, and oak. On the palate the flavors of this wine were not as up front as what was on the nose, but the flavors were of apples, pears, a hint of pineapple, oak, and it had a finish of butter. This wine has a retail price of under $10, and for the price point it was not a bad wine, if you enjoy an inexpensive oaked Chardonnay. Give this wine a try, and see what you think.

Jon

Bogle Vineyards was first established in 1968 in the Sacramento River Delta. But the families farming roots go all the way back to the 1800′s when they were farming this fertile ground. The winery came into existence a full 10 years after the first vines were planted. The success of Bogle is cemented in one core principle, the daily hands-on approach to viticulture that the family has embraced.
I recently sampled a bottle of the 2010 Bogle Chardonnay, and while I am not a big fan of oaked Chardonnay’s (I like the true characteristics of Chardonnay to come forward and not be masked by wood), this Chardonnay was fresh, easy to drink, with light hints of oak. The color of this wine in the glass was a light golden color, and it had aromas of pears, apples, citrus, and a slight touch of wood. The flavors were of pears, green apples, lemons, with some minerality, and just a hint of oak. For an oaked Chardonnay, this was light, refreshing, with a bit of butteriness, very smooth, and easy to drink. For the retail price of under $10, this is a great wine to buy. I paired this Chardonnay with a light fish steamed in foil with lemon and rosemary, and they complimented one another well.

Jon

I was given a bottle of the 2010 Edna Valley Paragon Chardonnay recently, and while I am not a big Chardonnay drinker, I prefer the unoaked versions, this was a decent wine for me. In the glass this wine shows a beautiful yellow/gold color, and on the nose were aromas of pear, tropical fruit, a hint of citrus, and oak. The flavor profile brought forth pineapple, pear, lemon, a bit of minerality, and a bit of oak. The one downside to this Chardonnay is that it had a bitterness on the back end that was a bit disappointing. This was by no means a terrible Chardonnay, but average at best.

Jon

I was preparing Tuna Tagliata with fennel and orange for dinner, and needed a wine to accompany the meal. I choose the 2010 Sieur d’Arques Vanel Chardonnay for the occasion, and it turned out to be a good choice. This Chardonnay had aromas of apples, pears, a hint of tropical fruit, with a slight aroma of oak. On the palate this wine had flavors of golden delicious apples, pears, a hint of pineapple, with oak, followed by a buttery finish. The Vanel Chardonnay was medium-bodied, with good structure, and a medium finish. While I am not a big fan of oaked Chardonnay’s (I like the true characteristics of Chardonnay to come forward and not be masked by wood), this Chardonnay was fresh, easy to drink, and accompanied the food very well. This is not a high-end Chardonnay from France, but for the price of approximately $15 per bottle, this was a good, quaffable wine.

Jon