Chardonnay Napa Valley

Pretty aromas of white blossoms, tangerines and lemon peel. Medium- to full-bodied with a plush, juicy mouthfeel and flavors of grapefruit and green mangoes with a hint of caramel in the finish. Drink now. – Courtney Humiston

The 2023 Napa Valley Chardonnay bursts with gregarious notes of baked apples and ripe, juicy peaches, leading to hints of cedar, lightly browned toast, and crème brûlée. The medium-bodied palate is silky textured with a lively backbone lifting the spicy orchard flavors on the finish. – Lisa Perrotti-Brown

The 2024 Chardonnay waltzes out with showy scents of baked apples, juicy peaches, and pear tart, leading to an undercurrent of beeswax, fresh ginger, and orange blossoms. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate delivers lovely purity with a silky texture and plenty of freshness to match the honey-kissed orchard fruit flavors, finishing on a gingery note. – Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Aromas of grilled lemons, hazelnuts, popcorn and spices. The palate is full-bodied with phenolic grip and a textural, rounded mouthfeel. A good core of fruit sits in the riper style. Drink now.

The nose is pure and focused, with aromas of Meyer lemons, graham crackers and kaffir limes. The palate is full-bodied with fresh acidity, showing notes of grapefruit pith, orange blossoms and talcum powdered before a slightly bitter finish. Drink now.

A fruity and juicy chardonnay with green apples, pears and baking spices on the nose. Medium body with creamy texture and a fresh zesty character at the center and towards the vivid, spiced finish. Drink now.

The 2022 Miner Chardonnay hops from the glass with scents of fresh apricots, ripe Bosc pears, and spice cake, giving way to hints of toasted almonds and lemongrass. The medium to full-bodied palate contributes a savory edge to the spiced pear flavors, with seamless freshness and a nuttiness to the finish. – Lisa Perrotti-Brown

A nice, spicy layer, with some spearmint to the lemons and stones. A tad simple on the palate with medium body. Creamy and fresh, with moderate length.

There’s rich savoriness to the ripe white fruit flavors that show plenty of meringue and custard accents. Ends with hints of dried mint and sage on the spicy finish. Drink now through 2024.

Peaches, apricots, pastries, butter and flint on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with a creamy texture. Fresh and elegant feel with subtle hints of spice and white pepper. Drink now.

From its smoky scents of lees through its preserved-lemon flavors, this is a clean and savory chardonnay. It hints at sweetness in its honeyed texture and almond pastry tones, a richness that will take on salmon rillettes or scallops in puff-pastry shells. —J.G.

A tangy, fruity white with pepper, dried-lemon and cooked-apple character. Medium body, dense center palate and a flavorful finish. Hints of lemon cream and wax. Drink and enjoy.

A tad rough around the edges, but the core is intense, with a butterscotch edge to the core of apple and pear. Tails off a bit on the finish but remains very complete. Drink now. 7,530 cases made.

“Crisp apple and ripe melon fruit with subtle citrus flavors.” Interesting by itself, it blossomed with Alaskan Cod with tartar sauce. Full and rich. The 2011 Miner Chardonnay Napa Valley Wild Yeast is also a great find.”

“Aromas of  pear, Mandarin orange, lemon zest, and honeysuckle blossoms, with a touch of vanilla toast and nuts. Refreshing palate of ripe pear, melon, and lime, over soft vanilla and spicy oak. Balanced with a citrus and mineral finish. Delicious.”

A very good wine: full bodied, round and both fruity and toast in flavor, it is balanced, and long, and lightly oaky on the finish.

Juicy and outgoing with generous, ripe-apple fruit getting a big boost from sweet oak, this well-crafted wine shows a polished and professional hand in terms of its balance and seamlessly fit pieces. It has plenty of flavor, especially for a 2011, but it is not heavy-footed, and it remains lively right to the end. If criticizable for a certain simplicity right now, it is a deep and very well-filled wine that will gain interest with time.

Intense and fruit-driven, with ripe tropical fruit flavors, showing a trace of oxidation on the finish. Drink now. 7,650 cases made.

“Weaves together a mix of ripe pear, apple and light cedary oak, focused and gaining on the finish. Drink now through 2017. 5,443 cases made.” – JL

Part of an interesting study in styles when compared to its mate made using wild yeast, this bottling is keys on the classic varietal themes of ripe apples. While rife with elements of sweet cream and vanilla, it is defined first and last by its very deep fruit, and its distant suggestions of toast and spice are far less prominent. It is not a nuanced wine so much as it is a tasty and generously filled one, and, if perhaps lacking the acidy firmness required for lengthy aging, it will make for splendid drinking with a savory roast chicken in the near term.”

“Complex, with rich fig, melon, honeysuckle and spice notes. Full-bodied and focused, ending with an elegant mouthfeel. Drink now through 2014. 6,043 cases made.” –JL

“Very rich and multifaceted aromas of ripe apples, sweet citrus, lightly toasty oak and roasted grains five this wine an inviting leg up, and its combination of rich yet balanced flavors keep it solidly on track. It is fairly full in body without evident turn to heaviness, and its convincingly long, youthfully vital finish raises the notion of some two to four years of cellaring, but only if the early charms of this immensely inviting wine can be avoided. Otherwise, please let it sit for a year or two.”

“This moderately deep, fully ripened and well-defined youngster plays a fair measure of rich oak against ample appley fruit in its very confident aromas, but it delivers deeper fruit flavors than predicted, and what was a good thing gets even better. It is a fairly big-bodied wine, yet it is firmed by an integral streak of citrusy acid, and, if its pieces are not yet seamlessly fit, there is little question that time is its ally. Give it a year and do not be surprised if continues to grow for three or four.”

“Sweet and fully-ripened appley fruit sits at the heart of this very generous opus, and, like the best of its peers, the wine balances its almost apple-pie-like richness with a fine streak of enlivening acid. Full on the palate, slightly oily in feel and yet fairly firm at the finish with a tangy upturn of sweet lemon, it displays very good continuity and length with real potential for at least two or three years of improvement”

“Subtle lemon yellow in color. Aromas of apple blossoms, minerals, citrus and tropical fruit lead to flavors of citrus, butter, apple and especially oak on the long finish.”

“This oozes sunshine and digs deep into the earth for great mineral flavors.”

“Excellent Chardonnay, in a full, crisp, lightly oaked style. It is moderately intense in flavor (peach, lemon peel, orange blossom), and medium long on the finish.”

“Ample body, a smooth and slightly fleshy feel and equal parts of juicy apples and sweet, mildly caramelly oak makes for a most successful recipe here. Although it is fairly ripe in tone, the wine keeps its alcohols well hidden, and its sustained, very flavorful finish is free of the coarseness that sometimes comes in wines of such ripeness and ambition. Full and balanced dry white. Try with rich seafood and fowl dishes.”

“Very keenly focused aromas of ripe apples, crème brulee, butter and caramel start this handsome wine off with richness and an inviting sense of depth…”