Tons of fruit, with vanilla notes, good structure. 2½ stars.

This is a rich and rewarding style of Chardonnay made with grapes grown from high elevation vineyards (400 to 1,800 feet) in Alexander Valley. There’s freshness to temper the ripe core of fruit that’s accented by spice and sweetish notes suggesting butterscotch and caramel. Expressive and enjoyable. 4½ stars.

Asian Chardonnay Masters of 2018: Gold Another Jackson Family Wines’ Chardonnay made with parcels picked from high-elevation vineyards in its Stonestreet winery in Alexander Valley also stood out, and earned a Gold medal. This was a plusher example but had plenty lively acidity and structure.

Chardonnay Masters 2017: Master

Our Highest Rated Costco Wines of 2018 Not many whites on this list, but we had a few that landed close in the 90-91 range. This Stonestreet Chardonnay just hit us right across the board. It was $26, which is off a retail of $40-45. We noted “This is a killer Chardonnay drinking way above its price tag, and the 2015 vintage follows suit. You can check out the wine’s historical ratings here on the Wine.com page, and they are consistently in the low to mid 90’s which is beyond impressive.”

Rich texture with noticeable oak and ample peach/lemon curd flavors. Vanillin oak with some citrus notes.

Rich texture with noticeable oak and ample peach/lemon curd flavors. Vanillin oak with some citrus notes.

A tasty chardonnay with aromas and flavors of pear, apple and honeysuckle. Nice oak treatment. Lingering finish.

Backstory: Stonestreet is the middle name of the late Jess Jackson, the revered vintner who turned heads in the wine world with chardonnay. This tasty chardonnay has aromas and flavors of pear, apple and honeysuckle. Nice oak treatment. Lingering finish.

Selected from a bumper crop in the latest Robert Parker Wine Advocate Issue, we’re pleased to reveal this list of twenty of our most “extraordinary” white wines (those rated 96-100 points) featured in our End of October Issue of the Wine Advocate - Issue 227.

Hint of oak, big and bold and lush, with flavors of butter and cream and ripe golden apples.

Several of the barrel-fermented, oak-aged Chardonnays were better balanced. The two standouts:...and the powerful 2012 Stonestreet Bear Point Alexander Mountain Estate Sonoma. Both $30 a bottle, the wines had richness, structure and a creamy texture that melded nicely with just about everything we ate.

A lovely chardonnay that's well integrated. Toasty, with notes of ripe apple, melon and crème brulee. Nice length. A standout.

A complex and full-bodied chardonnay that makes an impression. Layered flavors of melon, apple, toast and a hint of crème brulee. A chardonnay lover's chardonnay.

2011 Bear Point Chardonnay, by Stonestreet, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County: floral aromas, flavors of ripe peaches, voluptuous and rich; $55.

The Bear Point has interesting apricot flavors and a finish that seems to go on and on.

At the Stonestreet winery, in Sonoma's Alexander Valley, longtime winemaker Graham Weerts turns out a range of notable wines from the property, including this lush, richly textured Chardonnay that's balanced by a firm acidity and a bright mineral thread.

The 2009 Broken Road Chardonnay is made from grapes grown 1,800 feet up the mountain in gravel soils that give the wine a mineral character. It is intensely fragrant and has good acidity.

The 2009 Bear Point Chardonnay has more texture with soft peach and apricot flavors and a hint of citrus and vanilla.

The holidays offer a great excuse to splurge on a wine gift. If your target is high-end California Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, I suggest forgoing the quest for a cult wine. Instead seek out one of the great wines below...These wines are some of the best this winery has ever produced.

The holidays offer a great excuse to splurge on a wine gift. If your target is high-end California Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, I suggest forgoing the quest for a cult wine. Instead seek out one of the great wines below...These wines are some of the best this winery has ever produced.

Aromas and flavors of melon, pear, herbs, toffee and spice. Oak lovers will really go for this. Good length.

The holidays offer a great excuse to splurge on a wine gift. If your target is high-end California Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, I suggest forgoing the quest for a cult wine. Instead seek out one of the great wines below...These wines are some of the best this winery has ever produced.

An enigma of a Chardonnay. The wine is young but its deep color, the integrated and subdued nature of its flavors and the rich honey and smoky notes on the nose and palate all suggest development. The Alexander Valley appellation would suggest a ripe, warm-climate style and the wines is in fact full-bodied and rich, with 14.5 percent alcohol. But the wine comes from grapes grown at 1500 feet altitude, and its acidity is fresh and enlivening. It's a California Chardonnay, but it has the understatement of the Old World. Soft, rich, long, caressing--a wonderful Chardonnay.

This Sonoma Chardonnay is crisp and focused - perfect with the tangy summer-squash pizza that was roasted in the clay oven.