TALENT SHOW

The next generation of Chardonnay stars make their mark

- MARYANN WOROBIEC

Chardonnay is the ultimate winemaker’s wine. The grapes present a blank canvas on which vintners can apply different techniques and explore varying styles, while also expressing their terroir. “It seems so simple, but Chardonnay responds so well to any input, any decision,” explains winemaker Katie Vogt of Pahlmeyer. • This is an exciting time to survey the California vintners who are redefining Chardonnay in the state. “The wines are as fresh as they’ve ever been,” says winemaker Matt Courtney of Ferren and Arista. He is speaking about his own wines, but he could well be describing the category as a whole. The pendulum has swung back and forth over time, from an extracted style with heavy oak influence to leaner versions that see little or no oak treatment. Now the wines are settling comfortably in the middle. Power and elegance are no longer mutually exclusive, and many of the best examples show both richness and restraint.

Since our previous report on California Chardonnay (“Power & Finesse,” July 31, 2021), former editor Kim Marcus and I have reviewed more than 450 wines in blind tastings at our Napa office, the majority of them earning scores of 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale. Many of the best Chardonnays today are made by the legends profiled in our cover story (beginning on page 37), but plenty of other top-rated examples come from talented winemakers who are destined to become the leaders of tomorrow.