Cakebread Chardonnay: 10 Best Bottles, Prices, Food Pairings (2024)

Cakebread Chardonnay is the signature white label from one of Napa Valley’s leading family-owned wineries - Cakebread Cellars.

The winery was founded by Jack Cakebread and his wife Dolores in 1973 and became Napa Green Certified in 2008.

If you are looking for a lush, concentrated white wine, Cakebread’s sustainably produced, classic Chardonnay would be a perfect choice!

Let’s look at the top 10 Cakebread Chardonnay wines, the best foods to pair them with, and some interesting facts about Cakebread Cellars.

10 Exceptional Cakebread Chardonnay Wines

Here are our favorite Cakebread Chardonnay wines to try in 2024:

1. 2012 Cakebread Cellars Reserve Chardonnay ($111)

Here’s a luscious vintage Chardonnay with bright white peach, biscotti aromas, and delicious honeydew melon, pear, and ripe golden apple flavors. It presents a well-structured body and a long finish.

2. 2015 Cakebread Cellars Reserve Chardonnay ($81)

This classic Chardonnay offers tantalizing ripe fruit, oak spice, baked bread aromas in a delectable lemon crème, and peach palate.

3. 2019 Cakebread Cellars Reserve Chardonnay ($70)

Here we have a golden-hued Chardonnay wine with beeswax, apricot scents, creamy golden apple, and mineral notes.

4. 2013 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay ($56)

This delicious Napa wine is packed with toasty oak spice, dried apricot, and apple pie flavors. The full-bodied label has fresh acidity and a lingering finish.

5. 2007 Cakebread Cellars Anderson Valley Chardonnay ($52) 

Here’s an exquisite Chardonnay from Anderson Valley with butterscotch, ripe fruit, and spicy oak tones. The flavor profile of pineapple, Meyer lemon, and refreshing mineral notes also packs a punch.

6. 2010 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay ($51)

This is a pale yellow wine with sweet oak and beeswax aromas in a beautiful palate of ripe golden apple and pear tasting notes. The wine is full-bodied with crisp acidity and supporting mineral tones.

7. 2018 Chardonnay Cuttings Wharf Vineyard ($50)

Here we have a magnificent Cuttings Wharf Chardonnay that has buttery, spicy oak tones and spice scents enmeshed in a citrus, tangerine, and white peach palate.

8. 2016 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay ($47)

This is a rich, elegant Napa Valley Chardonnay wine with concentrated honeydew melon, refreshing mineral scents, layered apple pie, and peach flavors. 

9. 2019 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay ($44)

Here’s a Carneros Chardonnay wine that opens with sweet oak and creamy golden apple tasting notes, and a long finish. Fresh acidity complements the wine’s citrusy palate, spice scents, and supporting mineral tones. 

10. 2006 Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay ($38)

This vintage Chardonnay is straw-hued with a hint of gold. The complex flavor profile is layered with green apple notes offset by butter and dried apricot scents.

Best Food Pairings for Cakebread Chardonnay

Cakebread Chardonnay pairs well with roast chicken, grilled scallops, seafood, pasta, baked bread, cheese, and fresh salads.

A glass of chilled Cakebread Chardonnay also complements the rich, savory flavors of meat dishes like beef bourguignon. 

Interesting Facts About Cakebread Cellars

Let’s explore more about California’s celebrated Cakebread Cellars:

What Makes Cakebread Chardonnay So Special?

Each bottle of Cakebread Chardonnay is reflective of its vineyard terroir and the masterful vinification process. 

It’s made with fully ripe grapes from the Carneros vineyards. The wine undergoes barrel fermentation (including malolactic fermentation) with about a third of it done in new French oak barrels. 

This gives Cakebread Chardonnay its characteristic buttery mouthfeel, complex flavors, and extraordinary vitality. 

What Are the Different Vineyards Owned by Cakebread Cellars?

Cakebread Cellars owns 16 vineyards spread across 1,600 acres. 

The prominent vineyards of Cakebread Cellars include:

• Carneros Ranches
• Suscol Ranches
• Anderson Valley Vineyards
• Winery Ranches
• Dogwood Vineyard
• Hill Ranch Vineyard
• Maple Lane Vineyard

Cakebread has also adopted several innovative farming techniques like automatic irrigation and mulching, monitoring for soil moisture, and integrated pest management. 

What Other Wines Does Cakebread Cellars Produce?

Besides its Napa Valley Chardonnay, other distinctive wines of Cakebread are:

• Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
• Napa Valley Cakebread Merlot
• Anderson Valley AVA Pinot Noir 
• Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
• Anderson Valley Rose

Cakebread Chardonnay: The Perfect Napa Valley White!

Cakebread Chardonnay, with its distinctive flavors, is one of the best sustainably produced white wines from California. Get hold of a bottle or two to savor the layered complexity of this incredible wine.

Now, if you wish to build a portfolio of investment-grade Chardonnay and other wines, check out more details on the Vinovest website. It is the ultimate platform to buy, store, and sell authentic fine wine labels from all over the world.