Napa Valley chardonnay hits many pleasure points for wine enthusiasts. The iconic style is packed with ripe fruit flavors, oak spice complexity, and a rich, round texture. What causes pause, at times, is the price tag. In a quick scan of online offerings, single-bottle retail prices of $49.99; $55, and $72 glare back from the screen.
While sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio may have risen up the white wine ladder of popularity, chardonnay continues to dominate the scene, remaining the highest volume varietal wine sold in the United States. We want chardonnay. But with the astronomical costs of land, grapes, and oak barrels among thousands of other expenses, can great Napa Valley chardonnay be made at $40 or less a bottle? The St. Helena Star and Napa Valley Vintner Tasting Panel explored this question with a tasting of current vintages at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Prices of the wines ranged from $15 to $40, and the vintages spanned from 2013 to 2016.
Top chardonnays, $40 and under
2014 Starmont Winery & Vineyards, Los Carneros, $22
2015 Clos Du Val, Los Carneros, $32
2015 JAX Vineyards, JAX Y3, $20
2015 Sequoia Grove Winery, $28
2015 TEXTBOOK, $27
2016 Hagafen Cellars, Oak Knoll, $30
2016 Silverado Vineyards, Los Carneros, $35