Earthy yeast and mushroom scents play out on a rich and full-bodied mouthfeel. Good depth and exceptional balance make this complex and interesting.

Luscious, opulent, honeyed, buttery, apple-scented and flavored wine. Gently infused with some quality oak. Full-bodied, even voluptuous, it is a super chardonnay for drinking over the next year.

A knock-out bouquet of tropical fruits (oranges and pineapples) and spicy new oak. This is a full-bodied, decadent style of Chardonnay for drinking over the next year.

Buttery with apples, pears, and brown spices providing a pleasant aroma range. Clean, full-flavored entry. Lots of vanilla and pear on the palate, leading to a warm finish. Good structure, with a lasting, rich impression of oak.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Grand Reserve is a gorgeous barrel-fermented Chardonnay that offers a striking interplay of richness and the more saline notes that are typical of Santa Barbara, where 75% of this fruit is sourced. Apricot, honey, dried flowers, mint and butter notes lead into the creamy finish. The Grand Reserve is very nicely done.

This wine interlaces a light buttery-oak nuance with vibrant, appealing fruit flavors. It's medium weight yet fresh, with a smooth, well-balanced palate that displays a harmonized mix of savory oak and citrus nuances.

Offers mouthfilling richness, with subtle floral notes to the custard, apple pastry and lemon curd flavors. Beeswax hints show on the spicy finish.

The 2016 Chardonnay (Santa Maria Valley) is plush, succulent and super-expressive. Apricot, tropical fruit, orange peel, mint, honey and buttery notes complement the wine's lush, generous feel quite nicely. Drink this forward, inviting Chardonnay over the next few years.

Rich and well-crafted, with some lavender accents to the melon, white cherry and pear flavors that feature a creamy texture. The spicy finish is smooth and silky.

This yellow colored Chardonnay opens with a faint lemon and pineapple bouquet with a hint of teaberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and smooth. The flavor profile is a tasty pear and pineapple blend with hints of mild oak and pecan. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This Chard is food friendly and would pair nicely with a mild dish. I would pair it with Imperial stuffed halibut with bay scallops or Oregon pink shrimp Dungeness crab.

Wines of the Week: Creamy Chardonnay Tropical fruit and white cherry aromas play nicely with toasty, buttery expressions on the nose. Flavors of pineapple, apricot, and lemon wrap around nuances of butter, vanilla, and spring flowers on the palate. A balanced acidity and solid layers for under $20 make this Chardonnay well worth a try.

Coming from the Arroyo Seco (the Clark Vineyard) appellation and aged 11 months in 78% new French oak, the 2016 Chardonnay Jackson Estate Seco Highlands sports a vivid gold color to go with an exotic bouquet of honeyed orange rind, flowers, Meyer lemons, and citrus oil. Incredibly exotic and perfumed, with an almost Muscat character, drink this medium-bodied, nicely balanced Chardonnay over the coming couple of years.

Cali Chard Always a standout Chard from multiple vineyards located up and down the coast of California. This has a voluptuous nose of layered and expressive apple, pear, vanilla, buttered toast and creamy barrel spices. It’s a lush and spicy Chard on the palate with a range of ripe orchard fruits, mango, pineapple and just enough acidity to keep it lively on the finish. Big, rich, Cali Chard.

Wines of the Week: 90 Point Bargains for Thanksgiving Notes of pineapples, peaches, butter, and vanilla greet the senses. The palate weaves together flavors of pineapple, peach, and passion fruit with suggestions of buttery oak and creamy vanilla. There’s a welcoming richness that’s balanced by a fresh acidity which makes it well suited for your appetizers or the turkey itself.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases Aged nine months in 11% new French oak, the 2016 Jackson Estate Fulton Ranch Chardonnay rocks up with exuberant honeyed apricots, honeydew melon and guava scents with touches of orange blossoms and lanolin. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers mouth-filling stone fruit and melon flavors with a satiny texture and great length.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases The 2016 Jackson Estate Cloud Landing Chardonnay comes from the new Petaluma Gap AVA. Aged 12 months in 26% new French oak, it features bold pink grapefruit, Golden Delicious apples and fresh pears scents with hints of nutmeg, croissant and acacia honey. The palate is medium-bodied with lovely elegance and a savoriness that is well defined by a refreshing backbone and creamy finish.

Bright gold color. Bright aromas of sea salt, almond, lots of ocean breeze, along with rich elements of toasted biscuits and toffee. Brisk acidity on the palate aligns with a rich texture, all balanced nicely. Lemon curd, bruised apple, pineapple upside down cake, along with toffee, almond, toasted biscuits, but there’s also a streak of chalk and seashells. Rich but lively, too, there is a lot going on here! Fermented and aged in 41% new French oak.

The Jackson family has mastered making Chardonnay in large quantities at fair price points, and this bottling fits that theme perfectly. Soft white peach, sea salt, brown butter and guava aromas lead into a palate that’s tightly wound with apricot, pan-seared apple and salty smoke flavors.

Hidden Gems from California's Central Coast for Under $30 The Jackson family has mastered making Chardonnay in large quantities at fair price points, and this bottling fits that theme perfectly. Soft white peach, sea salt, brown butter and guava aromas lead into a palate that’s tightly wound with apricot, pan-seared apple and salty smoke flavors. Editors’ Choice.

The 2015 Chardonnay Grand Reserve is a coastal cuvée from the Jackson holdings in Monterey and Santa Barbara. A hundred percent barrel-fermented for eight months, this wine emerges primarily from Dijon and Rued Chardonnay clones. Loads of tropical fruits like pineapple, mango and guava are present in the aromatics of this rich, zesty, luxurious style of Chardonnay, which offers a boatload of fruit in a somewhat dramatic, in-your-face style. There’s plenty of it (153,000 cases) and the price is irresistible. Drink it over the next several years.

This dark yellow colored Chardonnay from Kendall Jackson opens with a pear and vanilla oak bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, slightly acidic and juicy. The flavor profile is a vanilla oak influenced Bartlett pear with notes of pineapple. I also detected hints of mild apricot and Chinese five spice. The finish is dry and its flavors linger and lasts for quite a while. This wine is ideal for readers who like a rich-styled Chard. I would pair it with chicken and wild mushroom tortellini with a light cream butter sauce. Very good+.

A lush, overt wine, the 2015 Chardonnay Piner Hills captures the essence of the Russian River Valley. Orchard fruit, butter, pastry and lemon confit give the wine its voluptuous, inviting personality. Texturally, the Piner Hills is quite polished in its feel and overall balance.

This is an easy wine to recommend for its creamy seductive texture. Some will complain it’s heavy or overdone, but those who like a rich Chardonnay with a hint of butter will embrace it. It does double duty as a stand-alone aperitif or to accompany a roast chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce.

The 2015 Chardonnay Jackson Estate Camelot Highlands shows the richer side of Santa Barbara County, especially next to the appellation wine. Tropical fruit, pineapple, butter and sweet French oak give the 2015 much of its racy personality. I would prefer to drink this inviting, unctuous Chardonnay over the next few years.

Broad and warm notes of light butter, baked yellow apples, cracked apricot and sliced nectarine are lifted by lime-peel tension on the fresh nose of this bottling. Preserved lemon and toasted almond flavors show once sipped, framed by a creamy mouthfeel and tartness provided by orange bitters.