There’s a reason this wine has been America’s best-selling Chardonnay for the past 25 years. Like you perhaps, I am not a fan of big, sweet, creamy, oaky Chardonnays, but Vintner’s Reserve wows me every time. For one thing, the fruit (pineapple, mango, and other tropical flavors) just tastes so perfectly ripe and refreshing. For another, while the oak definitely presents itself towards the front of the palate, it adds weight and rich spiciness to the blend rather than an intrusive barrel flavor. And then there’s the texture… velvety and sumptuous but never heavy. This is a great aperitif wine, and I can’t think of a better wine to serve with lobster, or a rich, creamy pasta dish.

Lushly ripe pear and butter flavors are backed by vibrant, lemony acidity in this wine. It has good depth, medium body and a creamy texture, but stays balanced and fresh on the palate, leading to a lingering finish. Another outstanding vintage for a classic California wine.

Even at the list price of $35, the 2016 Chardonnay Jackson Estate Fulton Ranch is a good value. Citrus, lemon curd and white flower notes all flow to a medium-bodied, elegant Chardonnay that has a terrific sense of elegance and purity. Aged 9 months in just 12% new French oak, it’s a class act well worth checking out.

I also loved the 2016 Chardonnay Jackson Estate Cloud Landing, which comes from a site in the Sonoma Coast/Petaluma Gap region of Sonoma. It’s incredibly aromatic and offers flamboyantly styled notes of orange blossom, citrus oil, tangerine and honeysuckle. Drink this medium to full-bodied, vibrant, yet rich and unctuous effort over the coming 2-3 years.

Kendall-Jackson's 2016 Chardonnay Camelot Highlands is bright and nicely lifted. Candied lemon peel, white flowers, mint and chalk give the Camelot its distinctive top notes. Medium in body and super-refined, the 2016 is a wonderfully inviting wine to drink now and over the next handful of years.

Top 100 Wines of 2017 - #28 The Vintner's Reserve has been a perennial best-seller in California Chardonnay for 30 years. It's hard to argue with the wallet-friendly price, wide availability and drinkable style. Grapes from Monterey anchor the blend, with additional fruit sourced from Santa Barbara, Mendocino and Sonoma counties. The wine ages five months in predominantly used French and American oak barrels, which keeps the flavors zesty and the oak notes subtle. The lees are stirred monthly, which contributes to the creamy texture and pastry flavors while the wine retains a sense of freshness.

Plush, with loads of richness to the well-honed flavors of beeswax, baked pear and lemon tart.

Plush, with loads of richness to the well-honed flavors of beeswax, baked pear and lemon tart. Minerally midpalate, presenting a fresh and zesty finish that finishes with pastry notes.

Plush, with loads of richness to the well-honed flavors of beeswax, baked pear and lemon tart. Minerally midpalate, presenting a fresh and zesty finish that finishes with pastry notes.

A staple of California winemaking, this vintage is as good as ever—perfectly polished, with light aromas of toasted oak and crisp green apple, lemon-lime and tempting butter flavors, and a medium-bodied frame. The texture is silky smooth, and everything tastes harmonious and balanced.

Chardonnays to suit all palates and pocketbooks For those who prefer the tropical fruit Chards, my best value is the very consistent Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve. KJ has been a consistent winner in the under $14 Chard category as long as I can remember. The 2015 has a lovely honey, vanilla nose that evolves to pineapple, mango, and papaya with citrus accents bursting on your palate like an extra-ripe grape. A hint of toasted oak reverberates through the long finish, 91 points.

Deeply spiced and buttery, with concentrated flavors of pear tart, apple pastry and ripe melon that glide across the palate. Ginger and toasty notes show on the rich, creamy finish.

Weekend Wine Picks Unabashedly Californian Chardonnay from a hillside that sits above the Santa Maria Bench in Santa Barbara. The Chardonnay blocks known as the Camelot Highlands is what winemaker Randy Ullom calls the filet mignon section. The vines, planted to their own roots and over 40 years old, are deeply set in an ancient seabed. Tropical fruits mark the nose with scents of pineapple, mango and papaya, previewing a creamy rich mid-palate laced with butter, mineral, cinnamon, vanilla, orange and crème brûlée. Another crowd pleaser. Private wine shops only.

Kendall-Jackson's 2014 Chardonnay Stature is powerful and also quite voluptuous. Like all of these 2014s, the Stature is intensely tropical, buttery and forward. Drink it over the next handful of years.

The most expensive Chardonnay is the 2014 Stature, which comes entirely from Santa Barbara. It is 100% barrel-fermented, with the lees stirred twice a month, and spends 12 months in oak prior to being bottled. This is a California dead-ringer for a full-bodied, ripe Bâtard-Montrachet from France. Notes of honeysuckle, unbuttered popcorn, crushed rock, and white peach and pear are all present in this full-bodied, wonderfully layered and rich Chardonnay. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.

The 2014 Chardonnay Jackson Estate Appellation Series from Santa Maria is another fairly priced Chardonnay, as winemaker Randy Ullom has the Midas touch when it comes to this varietal. One hundred percent Chardonnay, 100% barrel-fermented, 50% of it spending time on its lees, this wine from the cool Santa Maria Valley offers up plenty of wet gravel, unbuttered popcorn, tangerine and nectarine notes along with some pineapple and lychee. There’s also a touch of wood smoke to it. It is a fruit-driven, exuberant style of Chardonnay and fairly priced. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.

There’s no denying deliciousness, even when a wine is on the simple side, and in some ways, purity of fruit and clarity of style actually accentuates deliciousness. Medium-bodied, with fresh fruit recalling golden apples with a little citrus around the edges, this is generous enough to prove satisfying while also offering a lot of refreshment value. A little unresolved carbon dioxide provides a bit of added lift, making this a great choice for a warm summer evening.

Kendall-Jackson's 2013 Chardonnay Stature emerges from vineyards in Santa Maria and Los Alamos. Lemon pit, almonds, smoke, white flowers and French oak are all layered together in an impeccable, harmonious Chardonnay. The viscous, resonant finish is hugely appealing.

Smooth, ripe nose; ripe pear fruit, vanilla, butterscotch and toasty oak - all in balance; rounded, rich and long; classic.

This is a tasty and accessibly priced Chardonnay. It packs in lots of fruit flavor, vibrant acidity, rich texture and layers of oaky spice while showing a rare sense of seamlessness. Very Californian and compelling.

Offers lots of subtlety and polish, from the light, vanilla-accented toasty oak notes to the rich, creamy fig, honeydew, white peach and apricot flavors. Intense and elegant. Drink now.

Bright gold. Heady citrus fruit and melon aromas are complemented by gingery spice and leesy notes that gain power with air. Fleshy and deeply pitched, offering intense orange, peach and honeydew flavors given spine by juicy acidity. Bracingly bitter on the persistent finish, with resonating notes of melon and ginger.

The 2012 Chardonnay Grand Reserve (200,000 cases produced) is composed of Monterey and Santa Barbara fruit that spent nine months in largely French oak as well as smaller quantities of American wood. One-third is new, and this cuvee is put through full malolactic fermentation as opposed to the other Chardonnays where it is generally partially or completely blocked. Copious quantities of tropical fruits, pineapples, mangoes, apricot marmalade and honeyed citrus are found in this clean white that finishes with good acidity and a distant minerality. It was the only Chardonnay in this tasting that revealed a touch of oak. Consume it over the next 2-3 years.