The Vintner’s Reserve has bright acidity and tropical notes of mango and pineapple. It also has toasty oak and a hint of butter. The chardonnay is a steal for the price, and it has broad appeal because it’s a slightly sweeter version of the varietal.

Our Wine of the Week, Kendall-Jackson 2014 Vintner’s Reserve California Chardonnay, is a chardonnay lover’s wine, with all the flavors and textures you expect the varietal to show in California. Tropical fruit, especially mango, papaya, white pineapple and a fillip of durian, blossom enticingly on first sip. As these bold flavors settle down a bit, Bartlett pear, pomelo and Golden Delicious apple take their place and, as the long finish resonates, suggestions of melted butter, vanilla, nutmeg and toast confirm that, yes indeed, you are sipping a chardonnay, and it is definitely made from California fruit. This just might be one of the most classic examples of this style.

Straightforward citrus flavors are rich yet focused in this tasty KJ white.

The perfect party gifts for any occasion this holiday season - To meet your girlfriend's parents A foolproof way to get her family on your good side: Bring a bottle of vino to the table. Just make sure your pick isn't too cheap (you are dating their child, after all) or too pricey (you definitely don't want to make them uncomfortable). If you're looking for a white that's sure to please any palate, opt for Kendall-Jackson's 2014 Camelot Highlands Chardonnay... When it comes to red wines, we love ...or Freemark Abbey's 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon. And if you're still coming up blank (or if they're nondrinkers), don't be afraid to simply ask your girlfriend what they like—she's the expert when it comes to your (potential) future in-laws.

An amazing toasted oak, spicy cinnamon and nutmeg nose, with citrus and tropical fruit flavors and an elegant oak frame. The fruit expression in the mouth is lush with a long satisfying finish.

Reasonably priced, this full-bodied chardonnay has a rich texture with ripe peach and mango flavors and a touch of sweet vanillin oak.

This lush, rich, oaked Chardonnay is produced off K-J’s vineyards in Monterey and Santa Barbara counties. It’s a big, full-bodied, elegant wine with intense aromas and a creaminess on the palate infused with spicy, smoky French oak. Think lemon and lime, passion fruit, pineapple, floral tones and vanilla and spice. It has a sturdy backbone of acidity for structure.

Vanilla aromas from the oak, lush tropical fruit flavors, very rich and spicy, full body.

Lush, crisp and naked — breaking down good Chardonnay People want to condemn K-J chardonnay because it's so common on the market, but bang for your buck it provides a consistent, well-made value chardonnay, albeit a tad sweet.

This big California producer doesn't make many single-vineyard wines and instead concentrates on using multiple sources for grapes. The result is an enjoyable - although often generic - wine that is reasonably priced and easy to find. That's certainly the case with this delicious chardonnay with tropical fruit flavors and a spicy finish.

Clean, crisp, and lively, this Chardonnay offers only a faint hint of oak, supplanting the taste of wood with bright, fresh fruit. While it lacks the earthiness or minerality that can characterize the best Chardonnays made in this style (think Chablis), it comes at a very fair price and is extremely tasty. In addition, secondary complexity, while wonderful in a wine sipped on its own, can get lost with food. Nothing like that happens here.

Avant Chardonnay has been on my radar since its inception in 2009. It has a consistent style and appeal. The idea is to ferment most of the wine in stainless steel to keep the freshness of the fruit and the rest in neutral oak barrels to broaden the mouth feel, increase the complexity. This one is lively and fresh. It starts out with a subtle creaminess in the mouth and finishes tart and dry. The fruit is green apple, pear and lemon with a subtle infusion of spicy oak.

From the same stable as the ubiquitous Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay – the wine that put California Chardonnay on the map, and seemingly in every wine drinker’s glass, in the 1990’s – this is KJ’s response to the growing demand for less oaked Chardonnay. And a very welcome addition it is too.

A tropical chardonnay with mango and pineapple flavors up front. Aromas of honey, butter and a hint of vanilla. Nice length.

Wine of the Week

There is good reason K-J does so well with its chardonnay. Very clean, well made, balanced and delicious. Grapes for this wine come from five counties, so don't expect something site specific.

Strap yourself in: This Chardonnay is just about as full-bodied as they come. Plus-size? Yes, that would describe it. Camelot Highlands is a vineyard near Santa Barbara planted on an uplifted seabed from prehistoric times. It’s along the Tepusquet Bench in the Santa Maria Valley where the growing season is long. Vines are more than 40 years old and are still on their own rootstock. The wine is practically an essence of Chardonnay — creamy and lush and concentrated on the palate with an infusion of brown spice off the French oak and tons of juicy tropical fruit flavors.