I had a 2015 Gary Farrell RRV recently that I thought was outstanding. So, what’s your favorite sub-$40 Chardonnay(s)? Foreign or domestic!
Chablis, Chantelmerle Premier Cru Fourchaume
Robert Craig + Failla are good Sonoma Coast
Neyers is very good Carneros
Liquid Farm you can sometimes score there
Louis Michel vaillons or mdt
Mount Eden - Edna Valley & Estate
Anything from Hudson Vineyards (pushing price limits)
Argot Simpatico
Henri Prudhon’s Saint Aubin En Remilly
Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon Viré-Clessé
John Claude Bessin’s Chablis
Thomas Pico Pattes Loup (if you can find ~ $40)
And out of left field, but I really like the Big Table Farm Chardonnays I’ve had
My favorite sub-$40 Chardonnay region these days is the Willamette Valley. Lots of great chard being produced and much of it is well under $40. You could start with:
Vincent Tardive <$30
Goodfellow Richard’s Cuvee and Durant <$35 (Berserker day deal!)
Walter Scott Cuvee Anne < $35
So many other good ones!
+1 on BTF; havent found it sub-$40 tho
Right at $40 now from a couple retailers on winesearcher. I did find mine mid $30s, but that was on sale a bit ago.
Hartford Court is our ‘house’ Chardonnay. Can’t get any of the other favorites under $40, unfortunately
Ramey Russian River Chardonnay. In fact, Ramey may be my pound for pound favorite domestic Chardonnay producer.
Hartford Court or Hamilton Russell
Bernard Moreau Bourgogne Blanc
Moreau-Naudet Chablis Montmains (or any of their premier crus)
Christian Moreau Chablis Vaillons (or any of their village or premier cru Chablis)
Right at $40, but Auteur’s Sonoma Coast bottling is fantastic.
Smith-Madrone is also fantastic in that range.
Also, Liquid Farm has a great bottle or two sub $40.
Kinero makes an outstanding Burgundian styled $35 chard from the Rosemary’s section of Talley. Just had the '16 earlier this week and it is true to form.
just popped over to Edna Valley last weekend, and really enjoyed the 2017 Kynsi Bien Nacido, and the 2017 Talley Edna Valley.
The Talley Estate is a very good chardonnay year in and year out.
Kinero’s is a step up in complexity.
Honestly, the best bang for the buck (IMHO) is Chablis or Mâconnais
And if you go up to $50, the quality of domestic chards go way, way up
Depends on the style of Chardonnay you prefer
- Ripe, round CA chard:
- Teeter totter at $30 and it’s not even close
- Hartford Court 4 hearts clocks in under $40 as well and it’s quite good in the same style
- Ramey Sonoma coast around $30
- Medium bodied but still fruit driven
- Liquid farm is a great go between if you can find at that price
- Montelena chard can be found under $40 on occasion as well. Love that wine
- For leaner types, I like
- William Fevre “Champs Royaux” Chablis
- Billaud Simon Montee de tonerre
- Domaine Costal Chablis Les Truffières
Hope this helps. We probably drink more chardonnay in my house than anything else, so I’m always on a hunt for a good value in the category
and esp. Forêts 
#winning
Either of the Patrick Javillier bourgognes , Cuveé des Forgets and Cuveé Oligocene. Both are under $30. Also the Sauzet and Dominique Lafon bourgognes are often really good.
Rivers-Marie Sonoma Coast!!!