With smoked halibut, black cod and caviar, pea-stuffed morel mushrooms, and shrimp ceviche the Dork gang tasted a few chardonnays the other night. Many producers I've never heard of--I just can't keep up anymore!
2021 Daydreamer Chardonnay Marcus Ansems Okanagan Valley VQA
My wine. Interesting to taste this in a blind situation with chardonnays from Oregon, CA, WA and France. It shows sweeter with more oak than I had thought when drinking earlier bottles alone. Still excellent, just different. On the initial Old or New vote, this one definitely skewed New.
2019 Gro Wines Chardonnay Haspel Vineyard Mt. Veeder
A-M's. Citrus, melon, green apple, great acidity yet creamy; a really exceptional, elegant American chardonnay with tons of depth but without the ponderous weight one expects from Napa fruit. Impressed; I would buy.
2019 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur Dundee Hills
My wine. At this tasting the first task for every bottle was taking a vote on Old world or New. This one was unanimously but wrongly voted Old, a testament to the style created and persisted with by owner Veronique Drouhin. Loved it at the winery and bought six, of which each bottle has been better than the last, with this one finally showing some Puligny-ish secondary development. Outstanding.
2022 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay Washington
Vic's. Every previous WC chardonnay I've had has been golden-ripe and sometimes extracted, so I've never been a fan. This, however, is pale with classic apple and lemon notes and just a touch of matchstick--change in style or just the vintage? Dunno, but for me it's a great change.
2019 Johan Vineyards Chardonnay Van Duzer Corridor Oregon
Tim W's. From Oregon's unique Van Duzer corridor where calcareous sedimentary soils with persistent coastal winds produce complex, exotic flavors. They would probably insist that their byodynamic winemaking (the real deal 1924 Rudy Steiner regiment including burying horns and all that) also plays a part. Not classic in the usual sense but fascinating. I would buy.
2020 Statera Chardonnay Cutis Columbia Gorge
Tim W's. Hazy amber, unfiltered, bone dry, light salinity with the merest trace of smoke; unlike any Willamette chardonnay I've ever had. Liked it but would not even have guessed the grape.
2017 Domaine Henri Perrusset Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay
Doran's, I think. Impressive for a '17. Excellent fruit and good energy balanced by age but not showing maturity. A favorite.
2021 Diatom Chardonnay Santa Barbara County
Also Doran's. First of all, re other CT reviews? Chablis is mentioned over and over. No F-ing way! There were other wines present that had Chablis qualities, but not this one. Golden yellow, very ripe and sweet--classic what-we-hate-about-a-lot-of-California chardonnays. The only wine nobody liked.
2018 House of Bones Chardonnay Celilo Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
Doran's. House of Bones is a side project from established WA winery Proper Wines that owes its existence to the winemakers' shared love of Burgundy wines. Aged sur lie in French oak, 20% new, at five years out it's a tad riper than a typical white Burgundy but the homage is definitely there. I guessed that it was a Rasa, high praise indeed.
2019 Zind-Humbrecht 'Zind' Alsace Chardonnay Blend
Hannah's. Bright acids, good fruit, very pleasant. Though 30% Auxerrois (I think that was the other grape), it drank like 100% chardonnay. Very reasonable for $32 locally.
2017 Aubert Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard Carneros
My wine. Last wine of the night and best at a blind chardonnay tasting. Showing richer with more pineapple than a bottle a year or so ago, but on a night of many good wines it nonetheless proved why Aubert is so lauded. Someone pulled out a cellphone and ordered more.