WASHINGTON — I was recently at a business dinner — yes, I have a day job — when the topic naturally turned to wine.
One of the women I was seated next to confided that she loves big, buttery chardonnay wine, known euphemistically as California chardonnay. Well, nothing wrong with that. While it is not my personal style of wine, judging from the shelf space devoted to California chardonnay in retail shops, the popularity of these wines is undeniable.
My dinner companion then went on to say that she noticed that the wine prices for her favorite chardonnays had skyrocketed in the last several years — well beyond her weekly wine budget. Some have crept up as high as $75 per bottle. Good thing she was able to find and drink them when they were affordable, but her question about whether there were any good values left in California chardonnay wines left me wondering the same thing.
Of course, the first question I had to ask her was what she considered “affordable.” After all, one person’s “affordable” might be another person’s piggy bank breaker. She defined her range for quality chardonnay between $25 and $35. Not a bad range to work with, or so I thought. And so began my noble quest to find quality California chardonnay wines that fit within her specified price range.
What I found was something of a surprise.
It turns out that most California chardonnay values revolve around quantity. It’s easier for a winery to lower their price point when they make a lot of a particular wine. They can “afford” to make a smaller profit per bottle by selling a lot of wine versus making more profit on smaller lots. It makes sense. However, the secret to making a lot of good wine for a reasonable price is having access to a lot of very good fruit, and that is not as easy as it sounds, since vineyard land is expensive and many smaller producers are willing to offer growers higher prices for their grapes.
But there are several producers who have had long-standing contracts with growers who have access to great grapes. Some producers even have their own vineyard land and can readily provide value by farming and vinifying their estate fruit. Either way, there are some excellent examples of California chardonnay wines available in our area. Here are a few that I recommended to my dinner companion that evening.
The brainchild of Joseph Wagner — son of Chuck Wagner, founder of Caymus — the 2014 Meiomi Chardonnay is one of the most well-balanced chardonnay wines on the market for the money. It is a blend of grapes sourced from Sonoma County, Santa Barbara County and Monterey County. It is a rich and ripe style of wine that spends time in both French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks during vinification. This combination produces vibrant fruit alongside oak flavors. Bright, enticing layers of tropical fruit are heightened by the enchantingly sweet smells of brown sugar, honey, and butterscotch. Notes of mango and citrus zest enhance the complex palate. The lush, creamy mouthfeel is elevated by subtle flavors of honey and butterscotch. $20
The Santa Maria Valley, of Santa Barbara County, is one of California’s coolest AVAs, with one of the longest growing seasons in the world. The region is defined by its well-drained, lean soils and the unique east/west transverse mountain ranges that act as a funnel for fog and cold winds off the Pacific Ocean — that means producing chardonnay wines that feature bright acidity and fresher fruit flavors. The 2014 Nielson Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay is vibrant and lively, with scents of green apple, lemon/lime citrus, and a touch of buttered toast on the nose and repeated on the crisp palate. It has a lovely, textured finish that features nectarines and wet stone minerality. $27
River Road Family Vineyards and Winery, in the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, has been committed to producing quality wines at a great value since 1976. Winemaker Joe Freeman sources grapes from both estate-owned and local family vineyards to create wines that express the unique character of a wide range of varieties and growing sites. The 2014 River Road Chardonnay Mills Russian River from Sonoma features tangy green apple, ripe apricot and baked peach flavors layered on top of a buttery, creamy texture. Hints of Myer lemon, vanilla and toasty oak provide a lush and full-bodied mouthfeel on the finish. $25
Another Wagner family offering is the 2014 Mer Soleil Chardonnay Reserve from Santa Barbara County. Using estate grown fruit, this wine is a classic example of the big, bold, buttery style that my dinner companion, and many other chardonnay consumers, craves. It has beautiful aromas of tropical fruit, mango and guava. The mouthfeel is rich and complex, featuring flavors of apricot, juicy white nectarine and buttered toast. The long buttery finish has a touch of ripe pear to seal the deal. $30
