Best domestic Chardonnay?

[Len_Stevens]

Some amazing selections thus far…my favorite domestic chard thus far is the '14 Sonoma Coast from Kutch! On a side note, Jamie is super excited by the '17 Trout Gulch being released this Fall. It is my plan to purchase 2 cases.

[David_B]

The Ceritas ones are all good, but the Ceritas Zephyr vineyard is the best one out of all them, in my opinion.

Best QPR Chardonnay in America:
Cameron Dundee Hills < $20
Goodfellow RR, Dundee Hills just over $20, or the WV just under $20
Vincent: all of em ~$20
Le Petit Paysan: Jack’s Chardonnay. 21$ retail, 19$ wine club or case price.

Who else makes a kickass Chablis or White Burg competitor for ~$20

Overall best value to me: Goodfellow Richards Cuvee ~ $45

and just realized I forgot Ladd Cellars and Model Farm. Edited my original post to reflect my brain fart

Sean

I’ve been finding Calera Central Coast Chardonnay for $15 recently. Definitely overdelivers at that price.

[Sc0tt_F_tzgerald]

Mount Eden for me. Quite a few excellent ones these days from CA and OR. The best single bottle of mature CA Chard I’ve had was Arcadian. As a great wine at peak maturity, I haven’t had many white Burgs that showed better.

I’m an idiot for not trying Arcadian. +1 on Mount Eden. Their 2011 absolutely floored me - insanely good.

[Howard_Cooper]

Dave Ramey’s Hyde (and other single-vineyards) deserve more notice.

I cannot add this to my list because I have never tasted it.

They’re widely available.

They are definitely in a more traditional Californian style (not cooler zone, New Wave), but balanced and complex. Not flabby or overoaked or overripe.

It is possible that the wine is available somewhere around here but I do not ever remember seeing an offering for it and I really doubt it is widely available around these parts. I really don’t go out of my way to find California Chardonnays. Most of the ones I taste are brought to tastings by others. As these people have good palates, I get to taste some good ones and not as many duds (esp. since I retired and no longer attend work happy hours - although I do taste some horrible US Chardonnays at our Country Club wine group). Almost all the Chardonnay I buy is from Burgundy (including Chablis) or Champagne.

[Mel_Knox]

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Au Bon Climat. Or did I miss that??
Ramey and ABC just got reviewed nicely by Jancis Robinson. So was the MT Eden Cab.

[lleichtman]

There may be a little Pinot Blanc in the Chardonnay, but not very much, if any. Most of the Pinot Blanc gets thrown in with the Italian varietals that go into Guiliano.

BTW, both Clos Electrique and X Novo are vineyards planted in multiple clones and selections that are expected to ripen differently but be harvested together.

As is the Chardonnay from Whistling Ridge that produces the Richard’s.

Yeah, Rick A. always beats me to it. I was fairly certain that Clos Electrique was a blend of multiple clones and selections like X Novo (and Whistling Ridge via Marcus G.). Would multiple clones and selections be considered a Massale?

Speaking of Mo, we enjoyed a 2016 Ayoub Chardonnay last weekend. Definitely amped up on the second night.

Moe does make delicious wines and his Chardonnays are as good as his Pinots.


I
James

[Adam_Frisch]

I’m partial to the Peter Martin Ray and Trout Gulch (both local SCM sites near my house) but I need to try the Zephyr.

Let’s talk QPR for a second because I love Ceritas and Rhys but not in the QPR Champion Realm:

Agreed - they are pretty pricey.

[John_Morris]

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Au Bon Climat. Or did I miss that??
Ramey and ABC just got reviewed nicely by Jancis Robinson. So was the MT Eden Cab.

Good point! The basic ABCs are really nice wines and amazing values.

(Not that you would ever shill for your friends…)

[Joe_Mendez]

Vice Versa Platt Chard
Aubert Lauren

Walter Scott X Novo
Lingua Franca

[T_Welch]

Rhys and Ceritas make some of the most compelling Chardonnay with a little bit of age.

A 2010 Rhys Alpine Chardonnay last night was fantastic.

[Mel_Knox]

John,

They are all my friends. I just brought up the un-mentioned

[rgallagher]

Hanzell is really solid. At least in the conversation…

[Steve_Crawford]

I’m partial to the Peter Martin Ray and Trout Gulch (both local SCM sites near my house) but I need to try the Zephyr.

Let’s talk QPR for a second because I love Ceritas and Rhys but not in the QPR Champion Realm:

Agreed - they are pretty pricey.

how much are rhys chards running these days?

[Keith_Levenberg]

A few comments in the thread about aging Oregon chards made me wonder which chards are contenders for ‘best’ produced in this country. If someone was willing to gift you a bottle of any domestic Chardonnay you want, which one would you choose?QPR should not be a consideration.

Eyrie Original Vines

[Adam_Frisch]

how much are rhys chards running these days?

Sorry, I was referencing only the Ceritas prices in my answer. I have never tried Rhys, but would like to.

[David_Bu3ker]

Dave Ramey’s Hyde (and other single-vineyards) deserve more notice.

[B_Buzzini]

It’s Rombauer…duh!

[R_Somerville]

Has anyone tried Girgich Hills recently?

[williamwhelan]

So many incredible examples out there these days. Handful of my preferences right now:

Evening Land Summum
Ceritas Trout Gulch
Arnot-Roberts Watson Ranch
Forman Star Vineyard
Enfield Heron Lake

[Ben_M_a_n_d_l_e_r]

HdV. I don’t think I’ve seen them mentioned yet but consistently one of my favorite Chardonnays period. Other people using Hyde fruit have also made excellent wines of course. Also, I think ignoring QPR makes no sense.