Opinion: Chardonnay is queen of white wines

Bennet Bodenstein

Chardonnay wines are often called the queen of the white wine, with the cabernet sauvignon being dubbed as the king of reds.

This is probably due to the amount of print space that these two varieties have received through the centuries. I blame the choice on the British who, over the years, decided red wines were for men and white wines were for women.

Times change and past ideas have been flushed away. In bowing to our modern age, I would like to take a 21st century look at an excellent and often misunderstood and misrepresented white wine.

This month marks the international Chardonnay Day. With that earth-shaking statement, we get another day to celebrate. I do not need a day to encourage me to drink chardonnay or any other wine; I do so voluntarily without encouragement from the “day” givers.

However, in appreciation of being granted a celebratory day, I will now bow to the event and write about America’s favorite white wine, you guessed it, the chardonnay.

Josh Cellars 2024 Chardonnay ($13)
A California wine at this price is rather difficult to find, but it appears that Josh Cellars has performed the darn near impossible. This wine explores all of the facets that have made the chardonnay the reigning queen of white wines. The aroma is a host of tropical fruits balanced by a modest amount of oak in the background. The flavor is a merry-go-round of peach and lemon wrapped in a cloak of toasted oak, which continues onto the finish. This wine’s low price belies the quality that is offered. It’s wine that I believe can compete with the best of the usually very pricey French chardonnays.

Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma 2024 Coast Chardonnay ($27)
This chardonnay, although slightly costly, is also an excellent buy for a California chardonnay. The wine’s golden color and positive aromas of ripe pear, Fuji apple and hints of vanilla and toasted oak invite the first sip. The flavor revolves around peach, pear and lemon, and a delicate minerality continues to the finish. I believe that this chardonnay could be called a perfect poster child for the variety, as it presents all of its flavor and aroma right up front.

Anicca 2024 Chardonnay ($40)
This chardonnay comes from the Willamette Valley of Oregon, a region that is rapidly becoming the source of excellent examples of the Burgundian varieties of chardonnay and pinot noir.  Summer flowers are the first aroma encountered when the wine is poured into the glass, followed by citrus, fresh ground herbs and oak. These aromas follow through to the flavor, where they merge and mingle with an obvious buttery sensation that’s often hard to find in chardonnays. It remains on the palate for a long time, a feature that is not often found in the quickly made chardonnay.

Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay 2024 ($15)
This full-bodied wine has the buttery element that you often hear or read about in a chardonnay but rarely get the opportunity to actually experience. There are also the flavors of apple with hints of honey, vanilla and oak highlighting this chardonnay that ends with a lingering creamy finish.

Robert Mondavi 2024 Private Reserve Selection Chardonnay ($10)
The name Robert Mondavi on a wine bottle label has an almost religious connotation. Robert Mondavi was considered among the finest winemakers who ever worked in California. This wine displays an up-front and very noticeable full fruit aroma that features citrus apple, melon, citrus and tropical fruits, which continue on to the finish. I believe that this chardonnay will impress even the most critical of experts but more importantly any lover of chardonnay wine.

Wine columnist and Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.