Just in the nick of time, I had a chance to talk a little Chardonnay with Suzie Humphreys yesterday on The Broadcast, one of her final segments before she said goodbye today.  Though we are getting more adventurous in our white wine selections, it is still always nice to enjoy a glass of Chardonnay….almost like coming home. We talked about several favorites and a few new finds yesterday on the show.  Take a look below for our segment as well as tasting notes.
Cheers to you Suzie, thank you for all your support and wisdom.

Hahn SLH Chardonnay – $22 at Goody-Goody- celebrating Santa Lucia Highlands in California’s Central Coast, also known as the salad bowl of America…where most of our salad greens are gown in fertile soils. However, soils in pockets of the region were stripped of nutrients by glacial activity, creating soils that are perfect for growing grapes…nutrient poor, mineral rich soils creating a Chardonnay filled with citrus, tropical fruit and a touch of minerality. Fresh and lively.
Miner Family Wines Napa Valley Chardonnay – $30 at Sigel’s – one of my favorites, year in year out, from the southern most part of Napa Valley where temperatures are cooler, perfect for growing Chardonnay, with a great creamy texture, apple and pear notes, with balance, elegance and consistentcy.

Fritz Russian River Valley Reserve Chardonnay – $55, available via their website, Russian River is perfect for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with cool coastal breezes from the bay and river. Filled with stone fruit notes of apricot and peach with a slight nuttiness and creaminess from barrel aging.

Antica Atlas Peak, Napa Valley Chardonnay – $34 at Pogo’s – grown at one of the highest points in Napa Valley on the Antica estate on Atlas Peak where the Antinori family celebrates great wine and hospitality. Thanks to a natural valley running through the estate and high sloping hillsides, there is a great diurnal shift from hot days to cool nights, creating ripe juicy fruit that maintains great acidity, making a Chardonnay that is filled with experession and character. AWESOME wine!

Stoller Reserve Dundee Hills Chardonnay – $35 available via their website – The Stoller estate in Willamette Valley’s Dundee Hills is one of the top spots for growing great Chardonnay in Willamette, and is the source of some of the best Chardonnay wines for the region, both from their fresh, honeysuckle, lemon cream and tree fruit filled Reserve Chardonnay, as well as the wines created from their fruit by Adelsheim, Chehalem and others.