California Chardonnay
Vintage image sourced from Found Image Press
Chardonnay is the most-grown white grape variety globally, so pretty much everyone has heard of it. That ubiquity hasn’t always helped Chardonnay though, especially California Chardonnay. After a huge wave of popularity in the 90s, the “ABC” movement (Anything But Chardonnay) gained traction in an effort to shift away from buttery, overripe, oaky wines that were starting to all taste the same. Trends always change though, and so do winemaking styles. Recent endorsements from celebs like Lizzo have certainly given Chardonnay a boost in perception.
California Chardonnay is often discussed like it’s a single style of wine, rather than a wide range of styles depending on where the grapes are grown and how the winemaker decided to treat the wine. This tasting is intended to give a sense of the range of styles produced in that massive and sunny state, so that you can figure out what you prefer.
Stuff to know
We can’t talk about California Chardonnay without mentioning the Judgement of Paris, the 1976 blind tasting judged by top French wine experts in which the then-new wines of California were pitted against the classic red and white wines of France. California won the top spots in both the white (Chardonnay) and red (Cabernet Sauvignon) categories, making headlines worldwide and transforming the wine industry on both sides of the ocean. In 2008, they even made a movie about it.
California’s Chardonnays at that time didn’t have any prestige, history or pedigree. As is so often true in America, the rules were nearly non-existent, and the entrepreneurial spirit was enormous. Winemakers were challenging whether it was possible to make some of the world’s greatest Chardonnays outside France. And they proved that it was. But, after the success of the Judgement of Paris, Chardonnay vines couldn’t be planted fast enough. And we all know what happens when there’s too much of a good thing.
To be fair, there are plenty of California winemakers who never caved to the economic pressures to start churning out lower-quality Chardonnays. And I also believe that there is a place for lower quality wines in the marketplace. We all have to start somewhere. Unfortunately though, California quickly gained a reputation for producing a single style of Chardonnay:
Flabby and heavy, lacking enough acidity to balance and lift the ripe fruit flavors of the wine
Oaky, from inexpensive oak staves or chips, or even expensive oak barrels with a heavy-handed toast or char
Buttery, from using malolactic fermentation on grapes that just didn’t have enough natural acidity to taste balanced once the malic acids (think green apple) converted to lactic acids (think yogurt)
Sweet, often from using overripe grapes
If you’ve ever drunk a California Chardonnay with the word “butter” in its name, you’ve probably experienced one of these wines.
The good news is that there are just as many winemakers making truly stunning California Chardonnay, both in ripe, oaked and pure, minimalist styles. Terroir, as always, has as much or more of an effect on the style of wine as the winemaker’s choices do. And California is in no way homogenous in its terroir.
California is roughly 30% larger than Italy. I like this comparison because if you know anything about Italian wine, you know that each region of Italy has its own distinct geography, climatic influences, altitudes, grape varieties and styles of wine. California sometimes gets described like the entire state is just one large sunny beach where all of its wines taste the same, but that’s just so far from the reality.
Yes, California has a lot of coastline, and yes, it has a lot of sunshine. It sits at the same latitudes as southern Spain and North Africa, so of course there’s warmth and sunshine. But California sits along two different tectonic plates whose collisions over millennia have created the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the California Coast Ranges and a ton of geologic diversity and huge altitude variations in between. And even more important is the chilly Pacific Ocean running the Western length of the state, bringing in fierce, biting winds and fog galore thanks to clashes with hot air from inland areas.
If it weren’t for these dramatic geological and climatic conditions, Californians would have a really hard time making quality wine. It would just be too hot. And dry. These conditions also make California’s wine regions (or AVAs: American Viticultural Areas) a bit tricky to learn, since the natural logic of northern regions being cooler and southern ones being warmer just doesn’t work here. Altitude and the placement of mountain ranges combined with the Pacific Ocean’s effects tends to have more impact than latitude here. Mark Twain is famously quotes as saying “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” a city whose fog even has a name: Karl. When you consider that St. Helena, in the heart of the Napa Valley, lies 70 miles (112 km) north of San Francisco and yet is much hotter and sunnier, you get some sense of California’s complex geographic and climatic conditions.
Regardless, just to help us stay oriented, this tasting goes from North to South along some of California’s best-known regions for Chardonnay.
What to look for in this tasting
Even in regions where the Pacific Ocean does its best to keep things chilly, there tends to be a distinctive ripeness in California’s Chardonnays. For me, the easiest way to think about it is in terms of the types of fruit one might taste. In a cooler vintage in Chablis, the fruit expression could be quite tart, like green Granny Smith apples, starfruit and lemon zest. In most parts of California, you’ll get at least the ripeness of a Golden Delicious apple, if not all the way through to pineapple.
Even with the ripeness, there are plenty of high quality wines whose acidity balances the flavor concentration. Another aspect to consider is whether the wines taste cohesive and integrated. Do all of the flavors and elements feel like they blend into a single, beautiful experience? Or does something stick out, like sharp, hot alcohol or heavy-handed toasty oak? The length of the wine, or the amount of time the flavors linger on your tongue, is also an indicator of quality. That said, whether or not you like those lingering flavors is the most important indicator of all.
The Wines
#1: Anderson Valley Chardonnay
Anderson Valley is one of the northernmost outposts for wine production in California. North of Sonoma, in Mendocino County, the Navarro river cuts through coastal mountains, creating a valley where redwoods flourish and grapes have just enough time to ripen. This is a region where white and sparkling wines reign supreme, thanks to extra chilly growing conditions. Anderson Valley is just close enough to the Pacific to pull fog through the valley, so the grapes here are often shrouded in mist. Producers like Roederer and Scharffenberger set up shop up here to specialize in sparkling wine production, but there is also plenty of excellent still Chardonnay being made in Anderson Valley.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternatives: Mendocino Ridge, Mendocino
#2: Sonoma County Chardonnay
Sonoma County is a massive region with 19 different AVAs. There are more than 62,000 acres (25,000 ha) of vineyards in Sonoma County, roughly 30% more than there are in the world-famous Napa Valley. Sonoma County stretches from the Pacific Coast all the way over to the Mayacamas Mountains, which marks its border with Napa Valley. In an effort to whittle this massive and widely varied region down a bit, I’ve intentionally chosen to separate out the Sonoma Coast, even though it’s technically inside Sonoma County too. For this wine selection, we’re going to focus on the areas that lie further inland. There are plenty.
Chardonnay is planted all over Sonoma County, and the styles can be ripe and rich or fresh and restrained. The AVAs best known for Chardonnay wines include the Russian River Valley and its Green Valley sub-AVA, Los Carneros, Chalk Hill and Sonoma Valley, where Hanzell began using French oak barrels in the 1950s, a revolutionary practice at the time.
What to ask for: Chardonnay from any area within Sonoma County
Alternatives: Stick with Chardonnays from Sonoma County, preferably from AVAs like Russian River Valley, Green Valley, Los Carneros, Chalk Hill and Sonoma Valley
#3: Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
Technically, the Sonoma Coast is an AVA within Sonoma County. I chose to separate it here because this mountainous region with the San Andreas Fault running right through the middle has its own massive range of soils, altitudes, aspects and most importantly, cooling winds and mists from ocean exposure. Several of California’s top-scoring cool-climate style Chardonnays are produced here. The Sonoma Coast contains a whopping 500,000 acres (200,000 ha), though only a small portion of this is planted to vines…so far. Inside the Sonoma Coast AVA are several other AVAs, including the truly coastal and recently established West Sonoma Coast AVA. Like nesting dolls, the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, along a coastal ridge lying just above the fog line, sits inside the West Sonoma Coast AVA.
Confusingly, there are portions of the larger Sonoma Coast AVA that lie further inland, including portions of the Russian River and Petaluma Gap AVA, a region where the coastal mountains quite literally have a “gap” through which winds and fog from the Pacific swoop in to cool vineyards all the way over to the northern edge of the San Pablo Bay.
What to ask for: Chardonnay from any area within the Sonoma Coast
Alternatives: Stick with Chardonnays from the Sonoma Coast, which could also be labeled as West Sonoma Coast, Fort Ross-Seaview, or Petaluma Gap
#4: Carneros-Napa Valley Chardonnay
The Napa Valley doesn’t usually have a precursor to its world-famous name, but in this case, I chose to use a less-common naming format in order to highlight Los Carneros, one of Napa’s best-known areas for Chardonnay wine production. Confusingly, the Los Carneros AVA is divided between Napa and Sonoma, so wines labeled “Los Carneros” or simply “Carneros” can come from either side. At the southern end of Napa Valley, Los Carneros benefits from cooling Pacific influences coming through from the Petaluma Gap to the West. Moving north, all along the valley between the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges, Chardonnay is planted in cooler pockets and at higher altitudes than the red grapes that make Napa Valley famous. Producers like Stony Hill Vineyard built their reputation on Napa Valley Chardonnay way back in the 1960s, and we can’t forget Chateau Montelena, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Freemark Abbey or Veedercrest, the Napa Valley Chardonnays whose quality stunned the world during the Judgement of Paris.
What to ask for: Chardonnay from any area within Napa Valley
Alternatives: Stick with Chardonnay from Napa Valley, preferably from AVAs like Los Carneros, Spring Mountain District, Coombsville, Oak Knoll District, Rutherford, Oakville, Atlas Peak, Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder or Wild Horse Valley
#5: Monterey County Chardonnay
When you hear Monterery, do you think of the Monterey Bay of Big Little Lies, or do you think of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Finding Dory? Either way, the bay is often Monterey’s defining feature. Along California’s central coast, Monterey lies at the mouth of the Salinas Valley, through which cold ocean wind funnels, cooling inland vineyards. The vineyards here have more acres of Chardonnay plantings than any other county in California, even Sonoma.
Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay initially made a name for Monterey by winning third place in the Judgement of Paris. Chalone Vineyard sits on an 1,800 ft (550 m) site initially identified in the early 20th century by an expat Frenchman looking for limestone soils and conditions similar to his Burgundian home. In the 1960s and 70s, the Graff brothers began making some of California’s first-ever Chardonnays with malolactic fermentation and barrel fermenting and aging here, techniques often used to create top Burgundies. Unfortunately though, Monterey’s reputation began to suffer during the Chardonnay boom times in the 1970s and 80s. More recently, producers are once again flipping the script by creating delicious - and often great value - Chardonnays.
There are 9 different AVAs inside Monterey County, including, confusingly, the Monterey AVA. The AVAs best known for Chardonnay production include the Santa Lucia Highlands, Chalone (of Chalone Vineyard fame), Arroyo Seco, Monterey and Mount Harlan.
What to ask for: Chardonnay from any area within Monterey County
Alternatives: Stick with a Monterey County Chardonnay, preferably from AVAs like Santa Lucia Highlands, Chalone, Arroyo Seco, Monterey or Mount Harlan
#6: Santa Barbara County Chardonnay
California’s coolest wine region is also one of its most southerly. This strange circumstance is thanks to the coastal mountains here running east-west instead of north-south. Without mountains blocking the way, the Pacific’s chilly influence can sweep right in through the valleys in the arid Santa Barbara County, allowing for one of the longest growing seasons in the entire state. When my sister lived in Ventura, we drove the quick 30 minutes along the coast to visit Santa Barbara’s urban wine trail, including the aptly named Funk Zone neighborhood. Visiting the vineyards, however, is a whole ‘nother thing, since Santa Barbara, only 100 miles (160 km) from Los Angeles, strictly controls wine tourism development in its attempts to avoid another crowded Napa Valley-like situation.
It’s impossible to mention Santa Barbara without mentioning Sideways, the movie that single-handedly created a Pinot Noir boom while killing Merlot sales. Sideways’ plot is set in Santa Barbara, and you can even replicate the trip with a Sideways tourism experience…minus the mid-life crisis.
Santa Barbara’s reputation may have been built by world-class Pinot Noir, but much like in Burgundy, Chardonnay goes hand-in-hand. Santa Barbara County today has 7 different AVAs, including the recently approved Alisos Canyon, along with future AVA proposals on the table. The AVAs best known for Chardonnay wines are Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley.
What to ask for: Chardonnay from any area within Santa Barbara County
Alternatives: Stick with a Santa Barbara County Chardonnay, preferably from AVAs like Sta. Rita Hills or Santa Maria Valley
Tasting tips
The eats
California Chardonnays generally benefit from the California sunshine, so they’ll tend to have more ripeness than is typical in Chablis or other parts of Burgundy, though there are restrained styles made in cooler regions of the state. That distinctive ripeness can be outrageously delicious with anything creamy and buttery though, even better with some fresh herbs in the mix. Classic pairings include butter-drenched roast chickens, lobsters and crabs, but if you’re anything like me and just can’t swing that for a casual tasting, a charcuterie board that includes soft, ripe cheeses and creamy dips will totally do the trick. Personally, I’d be happy tasting these wines with just sourdough and salted butter.
The prep
California Chardonnays from specific regions tend to be more expensive than wines labeled “California Chardonnay,” whose grapes can be sourced from all over the state, usually from the hot, arid Central Valley. This tasting intentionally zooms in on regional variations, so costs will generally be higher. If you’re finding that the wines’ prices are prohibitive, you can choose to invite guests to split their assigned wine’s cost with a friend or partner, widening the tasting group.
If you live in the states, it will be easy to find these wines. For those of us living elsewhere, consider giving your guests at least two weeks to find their wines.
