Wines and Beyond

White Wine by Hanzell from Sonoma County, California. Massive, complex, with amazing depth, an opulent, voluptuous wine of tremendous power and authority. Its so beautiful now, you almost hesitate to cellar it, but these Hanzell Chards are built for the long haul... -Wine Enthusiast Honey and grapefruit, typical markers for Hanzells Chardonnay, are prominent at first, but then behind these are compelling characters of pastry shell (baked butter and flour), a delicate toast character from the barrels, almonds, milk and bread dough. A full, round presence in the mouth is supported by acidity that saves the broad and rich texture from being cloying. This vintage should mature in 2012 and carry through to 2020. - Michael Terrien

White Wine by Hanzell from Sonoma County, California. As this was Michael Terrien's first vintage making the wine, he was focused on determining how Hanzell Chardonnay distinguishes itself in the company of other California Chardonnays. Hanzell's recipe is unique: grapes are crushed before pressing, fermentation occurs in tank rather than barrel, new oak barrels are used only moderately, and malo-lactic fermentation is largely suppressed. The winemaking is so traditional as to be, in an odd way, iconoclast and new. Hanzell recipe honors a lighter winemaking touch and permits clarity of expression. The wine is about place rather than ingredients; traditional, but intentional. Glistening and bright with citrus peel (mostly grapefruit) and bread dough aromas of yeast and wet flour. Subtle flower aromas lift the pear and apple scent and the honeyed, oily richness that develops with bottle age is just beginning to emerge upon the wine's release. Few wineries in California can craft a Chard as rich, balanced and ageworthy as this. In its youth this '05 is flashy in lemondrop, pear and spicy anise, with a honeyed finish and crisp acidity. It's quite addictively brilliant, a wine whose lush harmony mesmerizes the palate. But Hanzell Chards invariably age well, and this is a wine you can dependably put into your cellar for 5, 10, 15 years, even longer, as it continues to evolve and become more limpid and minerally. -Wine Enthusiast

White Wine by Talbott from Central Coast, California. The best barrels from Talbott Chardonnay, Sleepy Hollow Vineyard were reserved and bottled unfined and unfiltered and without cold stabilization, true to the Grand Cru tradition. The resulting wine is concentrated, rich, and opulent with lush mouth feel and spine-tingling structure. This 2003 vintage shows almost unfathomable balance between richness, flavor, and acid. The nose shows lemon, tart pear, white peach, and nectarine with toast and cinnamon notes. On the palate, the wine is lovely, round, and supple with exquisite balance and forward tropical fruit and vibrant acid that lingers through the long finish. While we provide extensive bottle age in the winery cellar before release, we believe this vintage of Cuvee Cynthia will cellar well for five to ten years more.

White Wine by Sonoma Coast Vineyards from Sonoma County, California. The taste profile offers a creme brulee richness in the framework of a fresh, silky acid matrix. The fruit content replicates zesty lemon and fresh pear with a center core of tropical fruit. Malolactic fermentation sur lies results in a graceful and well-structured palate. The aging potential for this wine should be exceptional given the bright acidity and the subtle integration of oak with the wine's complex fruit profile. This wine will evolve dramatically for the next 3 years and will continue to evolve at a more subtle rate for 4-6 years.

White Wine by Rochioli from Russian River, California. Color: Straw yellow. Aroma: Aromas of ripe apple, tropical fruit and a touch of spice. Taste: Rich apple flavors and a crisp acidity.

White Wine by Silver from Central Coast, California. For the winemaking team that brings you Caymus, Mer Soleil, and and Belle Glos! This second vintage follows last year's successful debut of Silver, an effort to unite the crisp mineral essence of classic Chablis style with the tropical elements found in Chardonnay of the Pacific coastline. Using Chardonnay grown in special blocks of the Mer Soleil Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands of Monterey County, we harvested the grapes when just fully ripe, their gold color hued with green, expressing clean aromas of Chardonnay fruit and firm acidity. The result is our latest presentation of a Chardonnay we consider as sleek and cool as Silver. -Charlie Wagner II, Winemaker This unoaked Chardonnay is a light gold color with a pale green tint. Clean, lively aromas of honeydew melon and green apple carry over to delicate tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and papaya, balanced with crisp mineral.

White Wine by Cakebread from Napa Valley, California. Cakebread Cellars' Napa Valley Chardonnay is light straw in color with a glint of gold. Its aromas are reminiscent of green apples and the faint scent of apricots with a clean scent of mineral suggestive of flint. These impressions are repeated on the palate with a very slight buttery finish and a subtle hint of French oak vanillin in the background. Good depth with an ideal balance of fruit and crisp acidity lead into a fresh, silky finish.

White Wine by Franciscan from Carneros, California. Crisp and full bodied with a rich, creamy texture. An abundance of pear, sweet vanilla and hints of minerals round out the supple notes of toast, leading to a long, rich finish.

White Wine by Chalk Hill from Sonoma County, California. This is perhaps the most elegant Chardonnay ever produced by Chalk Hill. The wine displays the tropical fruit and mineral characteristics of the estate, and is delicately infused with citrus, pear and honeysuckle, an imprint from the cool vintage conditions.

White Wine by Grgich Hills from Napa Valley, California. Since 1977, Grgich Hills has crafted a food-friendly Chardonnay with crispness and acidity to balance the wine's concentrated fruit. They do not allow the Chardonnay to undergo malolactic fermentation in order to preserve the beautiful acidity and intense fruit that they worked so hard to produce in the vineyard. This elegant Chardonnay has luscious aromas of baked pear, lychee nuts and wild honey with a full and rich mouthfeel and a long finish. The bright acidity and balance of oak and body make it the perfect partner for grilled or roasted seafood, chicken and pork.

White Wine by Beringer from Napa Valley, California. Each Chardonnay lot was kept separate throughout the aging process to retain the individual flavor characteristics. After gentle crushing, Winemaker Laurie Hook fermented the juice in French oak barrels (77 percent new) to enhance the natural richness in the wine. The lees were stirred weekly to develop a nutty-toasty character and fully integrate the oak flavors, encouraging a good balance. All of the wines were put through malolactic fermentation to encourage a lush creaminess. After 9 months aging, Winemaster Ed Sbragia and Winemaker Laurie chose the richest, most expressive lots and blended them to create an intensely aromatic and flavorful wine featuring lemon zest, sweet vanilla, baked apple and spicy oak aromas layered with rich flavors of pineapple, and hints of minerality and spice that lead into a long and bright citrus-infused finish.

White Wine by Ch. St. Jean from Sonoma County, California. The best fruit from Chateau St. Jean's premier vineyards (including Robert Young, Belle Terre, and Durell) is set aside for this Reserve Chardonnay. Great care is taken to create a great bottle of wine, including aging in sur lie for 17 months in French oak barrels, and then bottle aging for an additional year before release.

White Wine by Hartford Court from Sonoma County, California. Although this inaugural vintage of Hartford Court Four Hearts Chardonnay has a weighty texture with spicy and layered flavors, it finishes with a brightness that reflects the cool climate origins of the stellar vineyards that comprise this new release. Complex aromas and flavors of white peach, citrus blossom, Asian pear and candied lemon give way to a rich and weighty mid-palate, followed by a very long, exotic spice-infused finish.

White Wine by Grgich Hills from Napa Valley, California. The Wine News Chardonnay of the Year! A classy Chardonnay in every respect, offering enticing aromas of acacia blossom, ripe Meyer lemon, honeysuckle, a touch of minerality and a modest dusting of French oak. Full bodied and elegant on the palate with excellent acid balance and expansive flavors of citrus, pear, quince, green apple and spice, this crisp, complex, food-friendly wine remains lively in the mouth, thanks to the absence of malolactic fermentation and the judicious use of French oak (one-third new); long, lemony close. This is the first vintage that our Chardonnay is estate grown, meaning we control everything from the vineyard to the bottle. The grapes were grown organically at our American Canyon and Carneros vineyards, where the coolness allows the grapes to develop complex flavors while maintaining a pleasing natural acidity. We do not allow the Chardonnay to undergo malolactic fermentation. This preserves the wine's crispness and acidity to balance its concentrated fruit. Our full-bodied, elegant Chardonnay has fresh aromas of acacia and citrus flowers, honey and a touch of mineral. All of our vineyards are biodynamically farmed, an agricultural philosophy that incorporates all of the elements of organic farming, using no artificial pesticides, fertilizers, or fungicides. Additionally, it treats the Earth as a living organism and utilizes nature's basic life forces to bring about balance between the grapevines and the Earth.

White Wine by Matanzas Creek from Sonoma County, California. A first glimpse of the wine reveals a pale, straw color, quite typical for a sophisticated Chardonnay. The first nose brings a delicate blend of green apple, white peach, and acacia flower, with a surprising addition of the autumn fruits pear and quince. After a swirl, the second nose reveals a more mineral note of crushed stones, the mark of an exceptional Chardonnay. The palate is round and velvety with a prolonged, flavorful finish of honey and melon. There is also a unique and subtle hint of smoke, derived from basalt, an ancient ocean floor rock found in Bennett Valley's soil. Although this Chardonnay was crafted with 95% malolactic fermentation, it is far from a heavy, buttery wine. Fran?ois strives to create an elegant wine which is expressly crafted to complement the food. In addition, he is able to preserve the fullest potential of the Chardonnay fruit by employing a Champagne-style vinification that is gentle on the fruit during crush and prevents any bitter note in the finish. If allowed to age, this wine promises to further increase in minerality and develop a luscious, butterscotch character.

White Wine by Chateau St. Jean from Sonoma County, California. Classic winemaking techniques such as sur lie aging for 17 months are used for this wine. Each lot is kept separate throughout the winemaking process and aged in 100% French oak (57% new). A barrel selection from each lot is made to craft the final blend. Due to the large percentage of Robert Young Vineyard Chardonnay in this blend, only 50% of the final blend underwent malolactic fermentation as the Robert Young Chardonnay component is kept a nonmalolactic wine. This medium-bodied Reserve Chardonnay opens with pleasing aromas of Bosc pear, lemon candy and nutmeg. Unctuous notes of creamy lemon bar and kiwi fruit are backed by subtle hints hazelnut, baking spice and mineral characters. The well-balanced acidity and complexity of flavors lead to a lengthy lemon oil finish. - Margo Van Staaveren, Winemaker

White Wine by Testarossa from Central Coast, California. Pale straw color. Initial aromas of honey, lemon, orange blossom, fig, and banana jump readily out of the glass. Layers of citrus, honey, and creme brulee flavor the palate, surrounded by lively acidity. The finish starts subtle, yet focused then begins it's ascent to a lengthy, multi-dimensional finish of fruit and spice. Drink now through 2013.

White Wine by Stag's Leap Wine Cellars from Napa Valley, California. The name KARIA (kar'-ee-ah) is derived from a Greek word meaning graceful, and it is this very character that Stag's Leap Wine Cellars seek most in this wine. With stylistic inspiration coming specifically from their Arcadia Vineyard Chardonnay, the wine is refreshing, light and graceful on the palate, with bright acidity supporting ripe fruit flavors and a butterfly kiss of oak. Inviting aromas of white peach, apple, spiced pear, and citrus join with floral notes of honeysuckle and roses to create a beautiful bouquet. The fruity aromas carry over to the palate and marry with a subtle creaminess and a touch of warm brioche. This delicate richness makes the 2006 KARIA Chardonnay a versatile wine at the dinner table. Try it with chicken piccata, corn risotto, or a warm goat cheese salad.

White Wine by Buena Vista from Carneros, California. True to its Carneros terroir, the wine exhibits aromas of apple, asian pear, citrus rind, mineral, hazelnut and brioche. This wine continues with flavors of lemon custard, nectarine, with subtle tropical, wet stone minerality and vanilla cream in the finish. The 2004 Ramal Vineyard Chardonnay has complexity with its multiple clonal selections, showing bright acidity and great fruit intensity along with richness and lush texture.

White Wine by Buena Vista from Carneros, California. Buena Vista's EVS wines showcase individual clones or blocks that perform exceptionally well in any given vintage. This wine exhibits aromas of steely minerality, lemon drop, clove, pear aromas and subtle matchstick. The 2004 Dijon Clones Chardonnay continues with rich flavors of oily bright citrus, focused peach, mandarin orange and candied ginger. Try it with a lemon dill poached salmon in a beurre blanc sauce.

White Wine by Groth from Napa Valley, California. Long, cool fermentation in a mixture of old and new barrels gives this Chardonnay layers of fruitiness and complexity that result in a wine that is very enjoyable when young or after several years of bottle age. This method of fermentation, in conjunction with whole cluster pressing and sur lie aging add layers of toastiness and creaminess to the wine. Together these components meld together harmoniously to create a balanced wine that is both lively and rich in aroma and flavor. Seared Halibut or any shellfish is a natural with this crisp, well balanced wine. I like to serve the Halibut on a bed of couscous with a saffron-fennel broth. -Kimball Jones, Culinary Director

White Wine by Trefethen from Napa Valley, California. Trefethen's primary estate vineyard is located in the heart of the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA, which occupies an ideal climate zone between Napa's warmer up-valley districts and its cool southern tip. The marine influence of nearby San Pablo Bay allows their estate Chardonnay grapes to ripen slowly and evenly, developing concentrated flavors while retaining high levels of acidity. Trefethen 2005 Chardonnay exudes beguiling ripe, yellow apple, peach, honeyed citrus and light butter scents, with intriguing hints of anise and tarragon. On the beautifully structured palate, its bright apple, lemon and pineapple flavors boast a refreshing minerality that persists throughout the wine's long, clean finish. This Chardonnay makes a wonderful match for dishes with bold citrus and tarragon flavors. Roasted chicken, veal piccata, lemon fettuccini Alfredo and succulent pork loin are just a few examples.

White Wine by Landmark from Sonoma County, California. The 20 plus separate vineyards that comprise this year's Overlook include such distinguished growers as Sangaciomo, Bien Nacido, Martinelli, Lorenzo and Heintz. All the wine in the Overlook bottling is barrel fermented using indigenous yeasts and undergoes full malo-lactic fermentation. The wine is aged sur lie for ten months in Burgundian barrels and racked to tanks for blending. The aromas of toasted almonds, caramel and coconut are followed by crisp green apple and lemon rind flavors that convey certain minerality. This wine will pair well with seafoods and shellfish, and complement pastas with cream sauces, as well as roast chicken and pork roast with fruit.

White Wine by Girard from Napa Valley, California. The cooling effect of the marine layer fog at the Western reaches of the Russian River Valley provides excellent growing conditions for Chardonnay grapes. Various vineyards within Dutton Ranch are the primary fruit source for Girard's Chardonnay, with additional fruit coming from La Porte Cochere vineyard. The cooler weather yields higher grape acidity at harvest which helps form the base of Girard's trademark style of bright, clean and non-buttery Chardonnay. The 2006 Russian River Chardonnay exhibits wonderful brightness, clarity and light weight on the palate. The crispness and minerality of the wine makes it a lovely food companion but you will find it to be quite enjoyable on its own. Superb peach and melon aromas with refreshing citrus flavors are accented with hints of toasted nuts and a subtle, rich texture from the sur lies aging.

White Wine by Stonestreet from Sonoma County, California. Winemaker Graham Weerts artfully blended hand picked fruit from select Alexander Mountain vineyard blocks to produce a classic 100% estate Chardonnay. This three ridge cuvee rings true aromatic tropical accents, layered with peach and pineapple ending with a slight lemon-lime mineral component. The body is medium in weight yet elegant and offers an exceptional long finish.

Pay only a penny for shipping now until 3/27/07. Promo code and details at Wine.com.White Wine by Stonestreet from Sonoma County, California.

White Wine by Ferrari Carano from Sonoma County, California. The 2006 Alexander Valley Chardonnay is a delicious wine with floral and fruit aromas of pear, Fuji apple, citrus and honey graham cracker with a hint of rich caramel and toasted coconut marshmallow. Generous on the palate, creamy vanilla undertones balance layers of toast and spice on the finish, while the tropical flavors linger to the end.