California Chardonnay: 10 Luscious Wines, Styles, Food Pairings (2024)

Chardonnay, the queen of Californian white wine, is a prized grape that readily reflects the nuances of its terroir. 

Stylistically, California Chardonnay is light and has bright acidity with a full body, and tropical fruit, citrus and oak notes. 

Without further ado, let’s explore all about California Chardonnay, including the best wines, the styles, the tasting profiles, food pairings, and more.

3 Different California Chardonnay Wine Styles

Let’s look at the three key styles of California Chardonnay wine:

1. Unoaked Chardonnay

An unoaked Chardonnay white wine boasts sublime flavors that can please any palate, and a purity that reflects the nuances of its terroir. 

Instead of oak barrels, unoaked Chardonnay wine is aged in stainless steel, concrete, or neutral oak barrels that don’t affect the wine’s natural flavors. 

Depending on the grape's ripeness, the dominant flavors range from lemon and green apple to pineapple and ripe figs.

2. Oaked Chardonnay

Oaked Chardonnay wines are aged in oak barrels or with oak chips or oak staves, giving the wine several toasty notes and complexity. 

An oaked Chardonnay has intense buttery caramel, smoke, and vanilla flavors, along with pleasing aromas of cloves and cinnamon.

3. Sparkling Chardonnays

Sparkling California Chardonnay is produced using the Méthode Champenoise, where the base wine is added to a bottle with a yeast and sugar (called dosage.)

The process gives a fresh acidity and fine bubbles to the wine. 

10 Best California Chardonnay Wines To Choose From

Here’s a list of the ten best bottles of Californian Chardonnay you need to buy:

• 2013, Marcassin Estate Chardonnay 
• 2016, Kongsgaard The Judge Chardonnay 
• 2012, Aubert Wines Eastside Vineyard Chardonnay 
• 2016, Aubert Wines 'CIX' Chardonnay
• 2017, Kosta Browne Bootlegger’s Hill Chardonnay
• 2017, Kosta Browne El Diablo Chardonnay
• 2018, Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay
• 2017, Blue Farm Laceroni Vineyard Chardonnay
• 2017, Anaba Westlands Chardonnay
• 2018, Migration Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay

1. 2013, Marcassin Estate Chardonnay ($784)

This exquisite white wine from the Marcassin vineyard in the Sonoma Coast is aged in French oak barrels. 

This Chardonnay has delicious caramelized citrus, hazelnut, apple blossom, lemon oil, pear tar notes. The palate is full-bodied, with a complex flavor and fresh acidity.

2. 2016, Kongsgaard The Judge Chardonnay ($945)

This Napa Valley Chardonnay has yuzu, freshly squeezed lemon, honeyed white peach, yellow pear, stone fruit, and crème brûlée notes followed by a dash of peach blossoms. 

This full-bodied Chardonnay offers fantastic richness and a spicy finish on the palate. 

3. 2012, Aubert Wines Eastside Vineyard Chardonnay ($490)

This Russian River Valley Chardonnay is rich and exotic, with high percentages of new French oak. This white wine has smoke, dried pear, and citrus peel notes with bright acidity.

4. 2016, Aubert Wines 'CIX' Chardonnay ($441)

The 2016 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay has flavors of crusty bread, baked peach, and citrus. This white wine is aged with new French oak, is full-bodied and creamy. 

5. 2017, Kosta Browne Bootlegger’s Hill Chardonnay ($165)

This white wine from the Russian River Valley has a fruity aroma of peach and lemon blossom, along with oyster-shell minerality. The fruity aroma is coupled with a concentrated fruit flavor on the palate.

6. 2017, Kosta Browne El Diablo Chardonnay ($165)

This Russian River Valley Chardonnay has a rich fruit flavor with peach skin and lemon cream aromas. Its juicy acidity is accompanied by a tangy orange finish on the palate.

7. 2018, Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay ($137)

The Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay, from the Napa Valley, has rich minerality, apple and pear flavors, and bright acidity. 

8. 2017, Blue Farm Laceroni Vineyard Chardonnay ($70)

This Blue Farm Chard has an oyster-shell minerality, along with flavors of apple, lemon, and lime zest that leave a long-lasting finish on the palate.

9. 2017, Anaba Westlands Chardonnay ($60)

This Sonoma County Chardonnay is a dry and lean wine layered with green apple and lime peel flavors. 

10. 2018, Migration Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay ($56)

This white wine has a zesty citrus flavor, along with toasty notes of almond and baking spice. The aroma is of white-fleshed fruit, lemon peel, and a dash of buttery ghee. 

What does California Chardonnay taste like?

California Chardonnay: Taste Profile And Characteristics

Typically, Californian Chardonnay has two layers of distinct flavors:

• Primary flavor: California Chardonnay’s primary flavors include lemon zest, chalky minerality, baked apples, and tropical fruit like pineapple.

• Secondary flavor: The secondary flavors are a result of the winemaking processes like oak aging and malolactic fermentation. It gives the wine a buttery aroma, with vanilla, toast, and coconut flavors, and a creamy finish on the palate. (Barrel fermentation and malolactic fermentation are also why Chardonnay is known as the red wine of all whites.) 

Now, these characteristics vary based on the sub-region as well.

California Chardonnay wines are produced in three main regions - Napa, Sonoma Coast, and Santa Barbara. 

Cold climate vineyards, such as the Santa Maria Valley of California, give us crisp, light, and citrusy Chardonnays. On the other hand, warmer Napa regions produce Chardonnays that are rounder and richer in flavor. 

How much alcohol does a bottle of California Chardonnay have?

A bottle of California Chardonnay has between 13.5% to 15% ABV.

What’s the level of acidity in California Chardonnay?

Unoaked California Chardonnay has medium-high acidity. Oaked California Chardonnay has medium-low acidity. 

Interestingly, the Chardonnay grape results from a cross between the Pinot noir and Gouais blanc. 

Chardonnay plantings can thrive across different vineyard regions - the reason why it occupies over 100,000 acres of the region’s vineyards. Owing to how adaptable and versatile the grape is, Chardonnay is a favorite among the Californian winemaker community!

Best Food Pairings With California Chardonnay Wines

Here are some of the cuisines and dishes you can pair your California Chardonnay with:

• Unoaked Chardonnay: Fish cakes, salmon preparations, cheese-based salads, and creamy pasta 
• Oaked Chardonnay: Egg benedict, steak dishes, pumpkin ravioli, and grilled veggies

To fully enjoy your buttery Chardonnay, make sure to avoid foods that are aggressively flavored and spicy. 

Indulge In The Brilliance of A Great California Chardonnay Now!

California Chardonnay is a versatile white wine that can satisfy the palate of any wine enthusiast. The unique flavor, balanced acidity, and creamy finish of buttery Chardonnay will leave you wanting more!

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