Introduction
I have described elsewhere the importance of California wine in the world and Chardonnays in particular. One of the online suppliers to the USA market is Wine Insiders, which offer some top California Chardonnays. Read here about them and see my reviews and ratings of some of these excellent Chardonnays.
About Wine Insiders
See below what Wine Insiders have to say about their business:
“We search out world class wines at affordable prices”
Meet our expert wine panel.
We sample 2,000 wines a year to make sure we bring you only the best. Scroll down to meet the members of our award-winning panel from left to right.
Brent Shortridge Brent began his career as a chemist with the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff winemaker. He is presently chairman of the international program for the Wine Institute in San Francisco. He has extensive experience in almost every .aspect of the industry, from the cellar to the boardroom.
Sara Malone A gourmet cook, Sara has a keen understanding of the relationship between food and wine. She is also a Master Gardener who brings special insights to the importance of the grape-growing process.
Johanna Bernstein An active member of Women for WineSense, Johanna combines her love of wine with an appreciation for the fine arts. She has played a key role in marketing for the wine industry.
Philip Zorn Philip has been associated with such notable names as Sunny St. Helena, Gauer Estate and Tria. He has a thorough knowledge of the winemaking process and is currently the consulting winemaker for 6 different brands.
Vincent Bouchard (not pictured) Descended from 8 generations of French winemakers (Bouchard Pere et Fils winery), Vincent presently works with 5 French cooperages and oversees the production of fine Porto at his 300-year-old estate.
Wine Insiders does the shopping for you
Our award-winning wine panel personally evaluates 2,000 wines, including Chardonnays each year.
We approve only 5 out of 100 bottles we sample, ensuring you get delicious wine every time.
And we ship our wines right to your door, bypassing the big wine stores and passing our discounts to you.
Our Money-Back Guarantee
If you’re not 100% delighted, send back the unopened bottles. We’ll refund every cent you paid, including the price of the bottle you opened.
Here is a selection of fine Chardonnays from these wine experts, of which I am an associate.
What do the wine ratings mean?
Score | Explanation |
---|---|
95–100 | A classic great wine |
90–94 | An outstanding wine of superior character and style |
85–89 | A very good wine with special qualities |
80-84 | A good solid, well-made wine |
75–79 | A mediocre wine, drinkable but may have minor flaws |
50–74 | Not recommended |
1) Product: Chocolate Box Chardonnay
Where to buy best: Wineinsiders
Vintage: 2012
Region: Central Coast, California, USA
Bottle: 750 ml
Alcohol/Vol: 13.5%
Rating: 85/100
Price: $19.99
Wine Maker’s Notes
We love the idea of wines that change our perceptions. Most people think of Chardonnay as a buttery, oaked, luscious wine. Not this Chardonnay. This wine is lighter, refreshing, and fun that goes with food or a cocktail party. It’s a have your cake and eat it too mentality that we can’t help but respect from Rocland Wine Company who produces these fantastic Chocolate Box Wines. This is Chardonnay that will also be loved by the non-Chardonnay drinkers. It screams possibilities, and I have to think that if you blind tasted the die-hard Chardonnay fans in your wine circle, they would love it too. A blend of fruit from California Central Coast, this wine has a nice vibrancy about it, and juicy notes of apricots and pears. It’s perfect for those summertime dishes like seared tuna salads and tequila lime chicken.
Buy this special wine and save by clicking any of the Wine Inside banners on this page.
2) Product: Flat Rock Chardonnay
Where to buy best: Wineinsiders
Vintage: 2013
Region: California, USA
Bottle: 750 ml
Alcohol/Vol: 13%
Rating: 87/100
Price: $17.99
Wine Maker’s Notes
Flat Rock Chardonnay is one of those memorable wines that can take you back to a time and place, where memories of carefree days put a big smile on your face. Ripe round flavors of fresh apple, peach, pear, and lemon balanced with creamy overtones and slight touch of French oak compliment your everlasting memories of a fun and enjoyable time. Pick up a few cheeses at the grocery store to pair with this California Chardonnay and let your add more lasting memories whenever you like.
Buy this excellent wine and save by clicking any of the Wine Insiders banners on this page.
3) Product: Snickerdoodle Chardonnay
Where to buy best: Wineinsiders
Vintage: 2013
Region: California, USA
Bottle: 750 ml
Alcohol/Vol: 12.5%
Rating: 85/100
Price: $17.99
Wine Maker’s Notes
When we taste 1000’s of bottles every year looking for only the very best, there is a lot of hit and miss when it comes to find balanced Chardonnays. It has to be just right and that is exactly what Snickerdoodle is, just right. The fruit is fresh with flavours of green apple, nectarine, and juicy melon. With only a small touch of oak, this wine remains crisp and refreshing with a perfect amount of linger in the finish. Purely delicious Chardonnay, a gem of a find from California. We know you are going to love it.
Buy this wine and save by clicking any of the Wine Insiders banners on this page.
4) Product: Coastal Passage Chardonnay
Where to buy best: Wineinsiders
Vintage: 2013
Region: California, USA
Bottle: 750 ml
Alcohol/Vol: 13.8%
Rating: 86/100
Price: $19.99
Wine Maker’s Notes
Chardonnay comes in many styles from the light and vibrant to silky and rich. In very small areas of the world, where the rolling hills get blanketed by coastal fog and breezes, Chardonnay takes on a whole style of its own. California Chardonnay is stereotyped as rich and buttery, but there are producers who are making Chardonnay in the balanced Burgundian style with lots of fresh fruits and vibrant acids to make the non-Chardonnay drinker a fan. That’s where Coastal Passage Chardonnay comes from. This wine opens with aromas of daffodil, pear, and apples, with hints of freshly baked French bread. Flavours range from peach to lemon tart and crème fraiche with rich mid-palate texture and a finish of grapefruit and green apple.
Buy this wine and save by clicking any of the Wine Insider banners on this page.
For other California Chardonnay wine reviews, please click the three images to the right under the heading Worl best Chardonnays. Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to chime in with a comment and I will be back to you within 24 hours.
This is a cool little site. For a long time my wife and I were big into drinking wine. You really develop a taste for good wine after a while. I like red wine and she was always into the white more. I was curious though. Does the wine depicted contain sulfates?
Hi Darren, thanks for your reaction. All wine contains some natural sulphites. The presence of natural sulphites is so small that it normally does not present a problem to anyone but the most sulphite-sensitive persons. So being allergic to it occurs, however, headaches are not caused by the sulphites, see my full article here. Cheers, Jerry
Well I am very excited now as I am planning a trip to the states and I love chardonnay. I’m thinking I need to spend more time in California than I originally thought though I notice you Wine Insiders delivers to all states, still looks nice out that way!
Do your experts have tours or anything set up with the wineries or restaurants in the area at this time?
Alison
Hi Alison, so you are a Chardonnay lover, then the USA, especially California is a very good place to go. Many US States produce fine Chardonnays, besides California there is Oregon, Washington State and even New York and Texas produce fine Chardonnays, although the last two produce mainly for local consumption. If you want to taste some world-class Chardonnays, then California is the place to go. Top of the bill over there are Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Try this website for tours: https://www.californiawinetours.com. There are more, just take a look and let me know if you have any questions. Cheers, Jerry