I don’t think to make sense to really compare them as they can be wildly different.
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I don’t know either, but I do know that Mount Eden exports to a lot of countries.
Forman
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This is a great list! Glad to see Hudson get a mention.
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Given my very limited exposure all I can offer is a short list of ones that I have loved
Mt. Eden
Rhys
Good fellow
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In short no.
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Add to those already listed.
Dumol
Martinelli
Morlet
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What an impossible question. My initial response was “based on whose palate?” A 100 point 15.1% abv Aubert Richie is not making my peepee wiggle like a Walter Scott Freedom Hill, or even some of the 12.7% Ceritas chards that are racy and bright and explosive. I guess you could put together a range. My list would certainly have Walter Scott, Mount Eden up there no matter what.
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Do you like brighter acidity or thicc richness in your chards? I typically prefer the former, and so more often purchase and drink Oregon chardonnay. If you’re used to drinking big ass red wines (or even whites) then you’ll probably find more pleasure in the warmer regions of California.
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I’m trying to correlate your two consecutive posts which offer some degree of nuance in the first one, but then generically labels in the second one.
There are many nuanced Chardonnays made in California (e.g., Kutch, Ceritas, Massican, several of the Rameys, etc.).
I specified that the warmer regions of California are more likely to produce wines aligned with a palate that is used to consuming larger richer wines than say, Oregon, from which most Chardonnays show brighter acidity and a more citric fruit profile. I specified “warmer regions of California” because obviously there are many nuanced Chardonnays made in California, including many from Sonoma Coast regions that are markedly cooler than say, Napa valley floor parcels or something like Ritchie in the heart of the floor of the Russian River valley. Kutch Trout Gulch and Massican Hyde are both cool climate, not warmer regions. My post was in response to a question about whether California chards are “better” than Oregon chards.
Kongsgaard
Aubert
Ramey
Martinelli
Failla
Au Bon Climat
Mount Eden
Kistler
Rivers Marie
Peter Michael
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I will be a regionalist and stick to California this time…
(In no particular order.)
Hyde
Ramey
Aubert
Peter Michael
Rochioli
Kistler
Robert Young
Mayacamus (I am impressed by their quality.)
I might slip Hudson in there, but they are newer.
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I’ve had some great Marcassins as well as Peter Michael and Morgan.
The California wine scene is changing quickly and I am lagging .
A friend, Robert Joseph, had the idea of tasting the same wines made from chardonnay in four different venues. In Burgundy the Robert Mondavi won.Sadly, I hear Monday is dropping Burgundian varieties, but their efforts in this area always surprised people when I served them blind.
Nobody has mentioned ChMontelena,winner of the famous Paris tasting.
Years ago I attended a barrel tasting at Provenance. Tom Rinaldi had invited other winemakers in the group, BV, Sterling etc. What I saw was that, in a way, the barrels were tasting us. I saw winemakers who like big toasty impactful results and others who liked elegant restraint in barrels. One cannot say who is right. In the words of Sly and the FamilyStone, different strokes for different folks.
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Arnot-Roberts
Montelena
Hirsch
Ceritase
Chalone
Mount Eden
Walter Scott
Morgan Long
Kelley Fox
Rivers Marie
Kutch
Mayacamas
Ridge Estate
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Montelena was mentioned a couple times upthread.
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I must admit, I don’t adhere to one style of Chardonnay. I love Kutch and Aubert, but obviously for different reasons. For those that prefer Aubert, I would give Ferren a try, very good Chardonnay in a bigger style.
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In Oregon I enjoy, St Innocent, Evesham Wood, Goodfellow, Vincent, Championship Bottle, Morgen Long, and Anderson Family.
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Producer is more important than state boundaries. Take the generalities being thrown at you with big grains of salt. You’re also being thrown many varying lists across a broad range of styles even within a particular list. Good luck.
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Got to take a quick break from pouring at PNV and Lee Hudson was pouring his auction lot (a three-block blend of chard called Trillium). It blew me away (one of the absolute best chards I have ever tasted). The 5-case lot went for quite a bit of money too.
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