One of Pinot Noir’s most famous, if not most famous, progeny, Chardonnay captured American hearts long before the heartbreak grape took center stage in the early aughts.
Not only does the U.S. love this grape, but our country also has its own clone, born east of San Francisco in the Livermore Valley at Wente Vineyards. For about a decade in the late 19th century, Ernest Wente walked his vines, isolating the most ideal material. His efforts would lead to the Wente clone, which today makes up around 80 percent of all Chardonnay planted in California.
In Burgundy, where Chardonnay was born, we can still witness the delicate yet powerful styles of Beaune and Chablis, of the Chalonnais and the Mâconnais — styles that have developed over centuries while enduring shifts in the modern palate. And while the strength of Burgundy lies in tradition, the strength of American Chardonnay is that we took lessons from Burgundy’s history, attempted to emulate it, and, in doing so, created an entire universe of styles.
We tasted a vast range of American Chardonnay this year, as well as a good haul of Burgundy offerings from across the region. What we saw was that Burgundy shines in its ability to coax the most ethereal nuances from this variety. And with American wine, we saw the great malleability that this grape offers. In contrast to Pinot Noir’s fickle reputation, Chardonnay is a seeker of diverse soils and climates, a versatile partner in the winery, allowing a winemaker to create their own style, from elegant and nuanced to rich, reductive, and spicy.
This list has all of it. It is a curated, diverse collection of aromas, flavors, and texture profiles from across the U.S. and Burgundy — all from one grape. Here are VinePair’s best Chardonnays of 2026.
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Why You Should Trust VinePair
Every year, VinePair conducts dozens of tastings for our “Buy This Booze” product roundups, highlighting the best bottles across the world’s most popular wine and spirits categories.
Within this scope, VinePair’s tasting and editorial staff samples thousands of bottles every year. This ensures we have a close eye on what’s new and exciting. Crucially, it also provides us with the context needed to distinguish the simply good from the truly great, whether from a quality or value-for-money perspective — or both.
Ultimately, our mission is to offer a clear, reliable source of information for drinkers, providing an overview applicable to day-to-day buying and drinking. Learn more about VinePair’s tastings and reviews department here.
How We Taste
We believe in tasting all products as our readers typically would: with full knowledge of the producer and — importantly — price. Our tastings are therefore not conducted blind.
VinePair’s tasting panel evaluates every wine on its aromas, flavors, structure, balance, and quality. We also consider whether or not the wine showed typicity for its specific grape or region.
How We Compiled This List
To provide our readers with the most comprehensive and thoroughly tested list of the best Chardonnays to buy, VinePair invited producers, distributors, and PR firms working on their behalf to send samples for consideration. These bottles were submitted free of charge — producers didn’t pay to submit, nor did VinePair pay for the products. All were requested with the clear understanding that submission does not guarantee inclusion in the final list.
For the Chardonnay roundup, we assigned a score to each product on a 100-point scale based upon the quality and intensity of its aromas, flavors, texture, and finish. Then we reviewed all scores and compiled an editorially driven list of the best Chardonnays to buy right now that meet our criteria. Each wine was assessed on quality, price, and availability to compile the final list.
The Best Value Chardonnay
Georges Duboeuf Domaine Les Chenevières Mâcon-Villages 2023
The Mâconnais is the southernmost subregion of Burgundy. It is a warm area with rolling hills, deep history, and a love for Chardonnay. This is the home of one of the most revered negociants in France, Georges Duboeuf. While he is known for his red wines, his first love was Chardonnay, and he sold wine from his family winery in Pouilly-Fuissé as a child. Back on his home turf and with such a wide distribution network, he can give small family wineries a voice.
At under $30, this wine is a great introduction to the Mâconnais and the Chardonnays of Burgundy as a whole. The nose pops with ripe orchard fruit and a saline minerality. The palate is very well balanced with mouth-coating fruit and medium acidity.
Average price: $28
Rating: 93
The Best Splurge Chardonnay
Far Mountain Bresa Chardonnay 2021
A new American classic has descended from Far Mountain and into our lives. This beautiful wine is the result of an experiment that isolated a historic vineyard just below the peak of California’s Bald Mountain, a complex terrain sitting on a ridge between Napa and Sonoma. It sees 100 percent new oak, but you would never know it, as the high natural acidity fully integrates the oak into the wine’s structure.
Focused subtlety defines the nose with quiet hints of sweet, ripe pears sliced and flecked with tamarind. There is a quiet yet persistent hint of salty homemade butter. The mouthfeel is a study in balance — bringing together ripe fruit, creamy texture, and focused acidity. It sits on the palate like a calm lake. This wine will age forever but can absolutely be sipped now.
Average price: $125
Rating: 98
The Best of the Rest
Best Chardonnays Under $25
Terres Secrètes Saint-Véran 2023
While Burgundy might not evoke the idea of a casual occasion, this bottle from the village of Saint-Véran is the wine you want to grab for your next laid-back lunch party. It’s balanced, has some depth, and the price is right. It’s the impromptu crowd pleaser. Dry and crisp with bright fruit and slaking acidity.
Average price: $18
Rating: 92
Henri Dufrères Bourgogne Blanc 2023
Another incredible value to be found in Burgundy, this approachable Chardonnay comes from the Mâcon region. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, this bottle is all about the freshness. The nose opens with aromas of crunchy green apples and white flowers and the zippy palate brings citrus, minerals, and a touch of wax.
Average price: $20
Rating: 92
Best Chardonnays Under $50
Cline Family Cellars Hat Strap Chardonnay 2024
This wine comes from California’s Carneros AVA, which is one of the coolest in the Napa Valley. It sits just north of the San Pablo Bay, which draws strong winds into the valley, helping combat the heat. These winds can be intense: The bottle’s name, “Hat Strap,” was inspired by founder Fred Cline, who had to hold his hat as he walked the property. This wine was aged in a combination of French oak and stainless steel tanks, adding depth without an overwhelming buttery note. There are also delightful hints of lemon and salty, freshly whipped butter across the nose and palate
Average price: $30
Rating: 93
Damiani Wine Cellars Standing Stone Farms Chardonnay 2024
Originally from Hector, N.Y., founders Lou Damiani and Phil Davis saw potential for wine in the Finger Lakes region long before it found acclaim on a national scale, planting their first vines in 1997. The two are part of the fabric of this community, and this Chardonnay is further proof of their pioneering spirit. This particular cuvée is sourced from a single vineyard at Standing Stone Farms on the east side of Seneca Lake. This block was planted in the 1970s, and presents in a distinct shorter vine size, leading to concentrated fruit. The wine offers ripe orchard fruit, juicy citrus, hints of salty butter, and a crisp river rock minerality. The mouthfeel is calm and focused, with acid and fruit existing in harmony.
Average price: $33
Rating: 94
Joseph-Jibril Bazzano Vineyard Chardonnay 2024
The journey for Joseph-Jibril started with late-night conversations between winemaking pals Robert Joseph “Bobby” Huff and Jaam Jibril Moynihan. While making wines at other brands, they would constantly dream up what they would do if they had their own winery. And in 2022, they went for it, combining their two middle names for the label. This is their Chardonnay, sourced from the organically farmed Bazzano Vineyard, tucked away in the folds of the Russian River Valley. The wine is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, showing off deep Chardonnay character without going overboard. There are notes of both fresh and candied lemon, white flowers, along with crisp green and yellow apples. The fruit is complemented by great minerality and a refreshing acidity that keeps you thirsty. Great price, great wine — and with the price, it’s really a no-brainer.
Average price: $33
Rating: 93
Domaine les Astrelles Coteaux Bourguignons Blanc ‘Terreau Thomas’ 2023
Based in the esteemed village of Gevrey-Chambertin, Domaine les Astrelles is a project from partners Jean-Marie and Isabelle Chapier. They each had a background in science, but they decided to pursue their love of wine, and took over Domaine Pierre Naigeon in 2019 to give the winery a new life. This Coteaux Bourguignons bottling is aged for 15 months in oak barrels and ceramic vats, creating a nice balance between freshness and richness. The nose brings fresh white flowers, citrus zest, and pears and the palate introduces a deliciously creamy texture with notes of lemon curd and vanilla.
Average price: $35
Rating: 93
Wölffer Estate Vineyard Perle Chardonnay 2023
Winemaker Roman Roth continues to defy perception, making excellent wine from grapes once thought impossible to work with on Long Island. This wine has all the things you want and more in a balanced Chardonnay. Lemongrass mingles with fresh herbs on the nose. The palate offers concentrated fruit notes of ripe pears and apricots, with a warm baking spice note on the finish. Bright acidity supports the fruit, lifting it on the palate.
Average price: $35
Rating: 95
Forlorn Hope Chardonnay 2021
Forlorn Hope is based in the high-elevation Sierra Foothills, where Matthew and Mara Rorick tend the 75-acre, organically farmed Rock Heritage Vineyard. This is Forlorn Hope’s first Chardonnay made entirely with fruit from 50-year-old, own-rooted vines from the property. Aged in barriques for three years before bottling, this wine from 2021 is already showing beautifully. Caramel candies, yellow flowers, and spice dance on the nose. There’s a richness on the palate that comes across as toasted hazelnuts, ripe pears, and juicy citrus. But that intense flavor is beautifully framed by a strong acid structure.
Average price: $38
Rating: 95
Pruett Farms Estate Winery Poulet Sautant 2024
As home of the Wente clone, Livermore Valley is essentially the birthplace of California Chardonnay. Pruett Farms makes this unoaked style to showcase the unique aromas and character of this famous Chardonnay clone. The nose opens with freshly sliced apples flecked with peppercorns and a dose of salty butter. The palate is refreshing with good fruit depth, and balancing acidity. It’s easy-drinking while still offering nuance.
Average price: $39
Rating: 94
Concannon Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay 2024
Concannon is one of the oldest family-run wineries in the Livermore Valley, and this Chardonnay is a wonderful example of why the variety does so well here. This wine strikes a delicate balance between rich, buttery depth and vibrant fruit. At 14.1 percent ABV, it falls squarely into the rich, full-bodied style profile, but with great acidity to brighten things up. Vanilla, sweet baking spices, and ripe orchard fruit fill the deep palate.
Average price: $40
Rating: 93
Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay 2024
Koerner and Joan Rombauer single-handedly created the first American Chardonnay. Well, not the first bottle, but Rombauer was the first to capture the heart of an entire drinking culture. In the ’90s, they began making their famous Chardonnay from Carneros fruit, and to this day, that cool climate defines this wine and balances out that famously opulent, buttery profile. The wine is calm, with oak spice, vanilla, toasted almonds, and yellow apples. The palate is rich at 14.6 percent ABV, but the cooling breezes of Carneros roll through and introduce a bright acidity that holds it all up.
Average price: $42
Rating: 94
Famille Descombe Chablis Les Oiseaux 2023
The Descombes family is from the Beaujolais region and expanded into Chablis in 2017, skipping the Côte d’Or entirely. With them, they brought their passion for reforestation and sustainability, which shows in the beautifully expressive wine. Bright aromas of white flowers, oyster shells, and freshly squeezed lemons welcome the nose. The palate is mineral-driven and refreshing, while maintaining a soft, welcoming layer of fruit.
Average price: $43
Rating: 97
DuCard Vineyards Tana Chardonnay 2023
If you stand among the rows of the Tana Vineyard, you can see the commanding presence of the Shenandoah Mountains. The vines grow right up to the park’s border. Winemaker Julien Durantie aims to showcase this special site through an expressive Chardonnay, aged for just five months in neutral French oak to preserve freshness while still adding a layer of texture. The palate is extremely refreshing with a slight grip just around the edges and a focused core of medium-bodied fruit. The finish lingers in the form of delicious spiced pears.
Average price: $45
Rating: 93
William Fèvre Chablis Champs Royaux 2024
Here is an example of approachable wine from Burgundy. Champs Royeaux translates to “Royal Fields” in French, included on the label as a nod to the fields from which the grapes come, as this is a blend of specific village-level sites. This style, in the right hands, makes for an extremely beautiful and balanced entry into the wines of Chablis: sweet jasmine, honey, freshly sliced pears, and minerals greet the nose. The palate is extremely balanced with acid and fruit in absolute harmony.
Average price: $49
Rating: 97
Best Chardonnays Under $100
Domaine Chanson Chablis 2022
Here we have a classic village-level Chablis that will have you picking your jaw up off the floor. Chanson is one of the oldest houses in Bourgogne — founded in 1750 — and is now maintained by the Bollinger Champagne family, which aims to express the region’s limestone-rich soils. It is a beautiful wine that refreshes and excites the palate. It offers notes of white flowers, orchard fruit, and the lightest touch of ginger. On the palate it’s focused, but still delivers a rich core of fruit.
Average price: $52
Rating: 93
Flowers Vineyards & Winery Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2024
Walt and Joan Flowers were horticulturists from Pennsylvania who pivoted to wine, moving across the country to the rugged and isolated northern Sonoma Coast and planting their first vineyard in 1989. Today, the Huneeus family has taken on the stewardship of this place and is seamlessly maintaining the Flowers’ legacy. This wine defines their initial hope as they crossed the U.S. to the West Coast — a cool-climate expression of Chardonnay. It is soft and deep, expertly balancing refreshing minerality and rich texture.
Average price: $55
Rating: 94
Anaba Petaluma Gap Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard Chardonnay 2023
This is a wine that, at one time, would simply be labeled “Sonoma.” Now, this absolutely gorgeous wine can be one of the newest additions to the county, communicating a sense of place for the often-overlooked Petaluma Gap AVA. And Katy Wilson is a damn good translator. This bottling is made with fruit sourced from the Sangiacomo family’s Roberts Road Vineyard, a site influenced by coastal breezes. It has a soft, creamy nose with subtle hints of lemon curd, salty homemade butter, and a whisper of freshly scraped vanilla bean pod. The mouthfeel is rich and calm with amazing supportive acidity. There is a slight drying sensation around the edges with some caramel saying “Hi” on the palate.
Average price: $58
Rating: 97
Desforges Suzanne’s Block Chardonnay 2024
Each member of the Desforges family has a block named after them in the estate’s prized vineyard in Sonoma’s Chalk Hill AVA. This wine is sourced from co-founder Suzanne’s block. It is released only in years she and her husband, Peter, deem the wine worthy of their dinner table. They source oak from the Louis Latour Cooperage in Bourgogne, and this is a single-barrel selection. It opens with a rich nose of ripe apples, lemon, vanilla bean, and butter. The mouthfeel is rich and grippy, with a deep, active core of fruit that carries the aromas from the nose to the palate.
Average price: $58
Rating: 93
Palmeri Daisy’s Chardonnay 2023
Like his father, Drew Damskey is both a wine consultant and winemaker. While he does make wine for other clients, thankfully he can show off his skills under his own label at Palmeri, the Damskey family’s passion project. He focuses heavily on small-lot, artisan wines that highlight a sense of place. Drew has a golden touch — in fact, VinePair previously named one of Palmeri’s bottles No. 1 on our list of the 50 best wines of 2022. This unique Chardonnay comes from the Durell Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast, a prestigious site known for its power and elegance. This bottle showcases a lush side of Chardonnay while still showing restraint, with notes of ripe orchard fruit, pineapple, toasted hazelnuts, and spice. This rich core of fruit is framed by grippy edges and a mineral-driven acidity. This wine can age, but is drinking well now.
Average price: $63
Rating: 94
Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023
It’s not just that this winery wowed wine journalists in 1976, creating a watershed moment in American wine history. It’s the 50 years of consistent attention to quality and judicious decisions to maintain a legacy that endure. And this vintage stands out as a continuation of excellence. Aromas of orange blossom, lemon curd, and vanilla waft on the nose. The palate brings epic balance, with bright acidity racing through the fruit. The elegant power of this wine is unmatched.
Average price: $75
Rating: 98
Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay 2023
Domaine Serene’s Evenstad Reserve bottling is made by selecting and blending the best barrels produced from the winery’s estate vineyard in the Dundee Hills. This vintage offers an elegant nose with aromas of salted butter, juicy peaches, and lemon curd. The wine is aged for 13 months in (27 percent new) French oak, adding just a hint of vanilla and a subtle, creamy texture.
Average price: $75
Rating: 97
Garden Creek Estate Clonal Selection Chardonnay 2022
Garden Creek has been crafting fiercely independent boutique wines in the Anderson Valley since the 1960s. Some of the estate’s vines are still actually from that time. This is a unique style of Chardonnay that combines six different clones, each individually fermented in French oak. The result is an extremely well-made wine that will not leave your memory any time soon. The nose is subtle and buttery, with a hint of savory herbs and spices. The palate is the hero with an amazing medium-fruit depth, and just the right amount of acid to lift the wine. Wonderful.
Average price: $80
Rating: 96
St. Innocent Winery Enchanted Way Vineyard Triangle Block Chardonnay 2023
This is a new one for us. We’ve been all over St. Innocent’s Pinot Noir over the years, and it is so exciting to taste this winery’s style of Chardonnay. This single-vineyard offering — sourced from the high-elevation Triangle Block of the Enchanted Way Vineyard in the South Salem Hills — shows the future of this variety in this region. The nose opens with orchard fruit, citrus zest, and butter melted with baking spices. The palate is soft and welcoming, with a creamy texture that coats the mouth.
Average price: $80
Rating: 97
Abbott Claim Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay 2023
This wine is a great example of the excellent Chardonnays coming out of the Willamette Valley right now. What winemaker Alban Debeaulieu coaxes out of these grapes is amazing — a delicate balance of toasted oak, rich roasted apples, and savory vanilla notes. The palate is seamless, with no sign of where the fruit ends and the acidity begins.
Average price: $85
Rating: 97
Château des Rontets Pouilly-Fuissé ‘Les Birbettes’ 2022
Claire Gazeau and Fabio Montrasi abandoned their careers as architects in Paris in the late 1990s to take over Gazeau’s family estate in the warm, hilly Mâcconais. This bottling comes from the acclaimed Pouilly-Fuissé appellation, from vines that date as far back as the 1920s. That small yield and concentration of fruit come through in the wine with vibrant notes of white flowers, lemon curd, and lime zest. The palate presents a beautiful tension between richness and acidity, with roasted orchard fruit, spice, and vanilla, complemented by a bright mineral core.
Average price: $90
Rating: 95
Domaine Boussey Meursault Les Meurgers 2023
We can’t stop enjoying wines from this domaine. The price is always spot on for the quality, this one coming from the Les Meurgers parcel in Meursault, known for its rich, luxurious expressions of Chardonnay. Earth, spice, and oak, with a touch of vanilla, come alive on the nose. The palate brings together concentrated orchard fruit and citrus notes with toasted nuts and fresh cream. There’s a harmonious balance between the rich core of fruit and bright structure that frames the wine.
Average price: $90
Rating: 98
Maison Louis Latour Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru ‘En Caradeux’ 2023
Just across the valley from the famous grand cru hill of Corton lies a hidden Bourgogne secret, the village of Pernand-Vergelesses. It is home to around eight premier cru sites, with En Caradeux the most sought-after. And this wine showcases its high minerality with epic balance. Sweet oak spice and lemon curd sprinkled with sea salt waft up on the nose. The stunning, creamy palate offers layers of texture and acidity.
Average price: $90
Rating: 98
Best Chardonnay Over $100
00 Wines Seven Springs Chardonnay 2023
In the old days of the Côte d’Or, vignerons would allow Chardonnay to oxidize to a completely dark, turbid hue. During fermentation, the black oxidized material would leach out through interaction with alcohol, leaving behind a more concentrated structure in the wine. 00 Wines decided to revive this age-old “black Chardonnay” technique in the hills of the Willamette Valley, and the result is an amazing success. This bottling is sourced from the south block of the region’s esteemed Seven Springs Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. The nose opens with subtle wafts of musk, spice, and preserved lemons. The palate is soft, deep, and calm, with a stunning acidity that breaks through its deep, rich fruit core.
Average price: $125
Rating: 98
FAQs
What is Chardonnay?
Chardonnay is a grape variety originally from France’s Burgundy region, where it’s often labeled under Bourgogne Blanc or Chablis. Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular wine grapes and is now planted in different regions across the globe, including California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Australia’s Margaret River, and more.
Is Chardonnay a white wine?
Yes, Chardonnay is a white grape variety that produces a white wine. It’s one of the most popular white wines in the world, along with Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.
Is Chardonnay dry or sweet?
Generally speaking, Chardonnay is a dry white wine. Some expressions might be more fruit-forward than others, but they don’t typically contain any residual sugar. In some rare instances, Chardonnay can be used to make sweet dessert wines. Ultimately, it depends on the bottle.
Is Chardonnay always oaked?
Chardonnay is often referred to as “the winemaker’s grape” since it is amenable to many different styles. Therefore, Chardonnay can be made with or without oak; it just depends on which expression the producer is going for. Since the use of oak can be quite divisive, many wineries now state on the bottle or on their website how the wine is aged, whether in stainless steel tanks, older, neutral barrels, or new oak barrels that impart a heavier oak flavor.
Should you refrigerate Chardonnay after opening?
Yes! Once you’ve opened a bottle of Chardonnay (or any wine, really), seal it as tightly as possible and refrigerate it to keep it as fresh as possible. In the fridge, an opened bottle of Chardonnay will be good for about one week.
What are good regions for Chardonnay?
Chardonnay is the fifth most-planted wine grape around the world, but its style varies depending on where it’s grown. Some of the world’s most revered Chardonnays come from the Burgundy region in France. Still, regions in Italy, the United States, Chile, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand also produce good Chardonnay. (Check out this guide on the World’s Best Places for Growing Chardonnay.)
