David Bruce Chardonnay Santa Lucia Highlands 2008 - $18

David: Deep yellow. Nose of freshly cut wood, tangerine, mango, creamsicle. Medium bodied. Good structure and balance. Not too heavy. Not too much alcohol. Solid finish.
Score: 4.1/5

Stonier Reserve Chardonnay 2005 - $25

David: Bright yellow in color. Complex nose of citrus, pineapple, spice, pepper, almond and stinky wild flowers. Full bodied and complex on the palate with good structure and balance and a long finish.
Score: 4.3/5

Domaine Seguinot Bordet Chablis 2008 - $16

Our first Chablis.

David: Color is pale yellow. Delicate nose of honey, peach and creamy oyster shell minerality. Delicious on the palate. Medium bodied with lively acidity. Honeyed melon, green apple fruit. Good balance. Good finish. I think I will like this style.
Score: 4.1/5

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay 2008 - $8

David: Yellow in color. Nose of flowers and tropical fruit and of course oak. Very soft mouthfeel. High alcohol but not harsh. Overall, a nice, likeable, low-priced Chardonnay.
Score: 3.9/5

Jessica: Solid no frills chard. Did the job. Crisp with subtle fruits. Oak present but not overwhelming. Easy summer drinking wine.
Score: 3.8/5

Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Chardonnay - $7

David: Just had a glass at a sushi restaurant. Not very aromatic nose. Just oakiness. On the plate pretty bland besides the usual oak tastes, vanilla etc. Alcohol gets harsh and finish is unpleasant.
Score: 2.2/5

Jessica: God knows why David ordered this or what he was expecting. Even I knew it would be gross. Sour, sickly sweet on tongue, lacking complexity, balance, etc. Basically missing every quality that makes wine great. Nasty.
Score: 1.0/5

Chardonnay de Chardonnay - Cave de Lugny 2007 - $14

David: A white Burgundy from the vineyards around the town named Chardonnay. This is the Maconnaise appellation of Burgundy, around Macon. Like most burgundian chardonnays, this is unoaked. Color is straw. Nose is weak as is common with unoaked chards. Acidity is good. Apples and citrus flavors are evident with minerals. Finish is long with tingling acidity, somewhat bitter. Over all, quite nice. The Wine Bible says only that wines from Chardonnay are "passable at best". So maybe White Burgundy gets a lot better than this but I found it enjoyable. This was quite a bit better near room temperature than cold especially on the second day after a night in the fridge.
Score 4.0/5

Jessica: Crisp, mild fruits, balanced. Pale straw in color. Medium nose with strong finish. Good depth.
Score: 4.0/5

Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay 2007 -$14

David: Rich yellow in color. Nose of lemon oil and green apple combined with oak, tropical fruit and perhaps coconut.
Strong acidity, full bodied, nicely balanced.
Score: 4.0/5

Jessica: This is a delicious, full-bodied chardonnay with fruits of peach and apple that stand out. I agree it is well balanced.
Score: 4.2/5

Heller Estates Chardonnay 2007 - $14

David: This chardonnay is light in color. Nose indicates minerals and pear. Lively but light in the mouth. Oak is subdominant to citrus and apple or pear. Has a long finish. The end is a bit hot (alcohol) in the throat and this effect gets accentuated as it warms as does the acidity. Keep it cool. I am less partial to citrus tastes in wine which affects the score somewhat.
Score: 3.6/5

Jessica: I don't remember this wine sufficiently to give it a very accurate score. But it was nice and I liked its caramel tone with fruit and nuances of vanilla.