A tropical chardonnay that's balanced and elegant. Notes of pear, melon, apple, toast and spice. A sweet finish.

By the way, if you really, really are determined to pick up an American Chardonnay for less that $20, perhaps for entertaining this summer, you could do a lot worse than good old Kendall-Jackson. We always disagree about it - Dottie likes its round, buttery, mouth-coating and slightly Muscaty tastes, while John finds it too lab-made and oaky - but we both agree that there's never anything wrong with it and it's easy enough to drink. It's a solid Good wine, it costs about $12 or so and it's available pretty much everywhere. K-J has this Chardonnay down to a science...

The K-J Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay -- it's iconic in its price category.

Price is always a factor in choosing wine. ...some good and widely available values are made. Try Kendall-Jackson's 2007 Vintner's Reserve.

Chardonnay remains a big seller, but inexpensive versions can be noticeably sweet. Still there are some good choices out there. The ubiquitous 2007 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay does contain a bit of residual sugar, but it's well-balanced by acidity, and the wine displays racy apple and pear flavors.

Here's a nicely balanced chardonnay that shouldn't be too hard to find around town and that drinks especially well for the price. The nose is fairly restrained for California chardonnay, with bits of butteriness and mango on the nose. The taste is smooth but not overly soft, with well-integrated flavors of apple and tropical fruits. Oh, and for you point-chasers out there: Robert Parker rated this wine at 90 points.

The flavors exceed what you would expect from a wine at this price. Ripe apple flavors with citrus notes and a hint of mango. a little residual sugar give it generous mouthfeel.

The creamy Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay can stand up to the gumbo's intense flavors.

Rich - but not over the top - aromas of banana, pineapple and cream soda, with sophisticated spice notes. A big wine with significant flavors of oak and vanilla that are balanced by a cavalcade of tropical fruit.

Kendall-Jackson's self-evidently stylish, full-flavoured and well-balanced 2006 Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay was the only white I really wanted to drink.

For a good 25 years, this has been the gold standard for value-priced Chardonnay. Yes, you can crab at me for that statement, but its commercial availability, and its competitive price sometimes blur people's vision regarding this wine, but the palate tells it all - - it's an excellent Chardonnay. The nose has that apple-pear tango going on, with the butterscotch of toasted oak; and the palate is sweet and tart at the same time. Flavors have real punch, with lime zest, orange and minerality to punctuate the sweet apple-pear-nectarine fruit.

Kendall-Jackson's Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay is a generally well-regarded midpriced Chard.

The Kendall-Jackson 2006 California Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, still sweetly fruity and characteristically oaky but slimmed down a bit from earlier incarnations and thus more refreshing.

A toasty, tropical chardonnay. Aromas and flavors of apricot, mango, apple, vanilla and honey. A popular pick.

Jackson is justifiably famous for his Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, which has only gotten better as the winery has shifted solely to using grapes from its own vineyards.

Look for fresh mango, honey and pineapple nuances with a brushing of oak and cool, mineral, citrus and peach flavours. A terrific holiday party wine.

The 2005 Grand Reserve Chardonnay is a lighter-bodied, creamy textured selection with apple flavors, butterscotch notes and a hint of coconut on the finish.

K-J's Grand Reserve 2005 Chardonnay does justice to the reputation of the brand - it's a succulent mix of tropical and citrus fruits, polished and racy with a pleasing minerality.

A full-blown example of the grand style of contemporary California chardonnay -- big, sweet and smoky with oak, but exquisitely balanced, with a length that leaves you marveling about how tiny grapes can yield juice with so much impact.

With grapes grown on the Jackson Estate, this well-made chardonnay has lots of personality and ripe tropical fruit, citrus flavors. Soft, rich texture.