Oaky Chardonnay

[Jodi]

Reading through some old threads around the wine board, I've been picking up what seems to be a strong bias among sophisticated wine drinkers that Chardonnay ought not be oaky. Though I need to do more tasting to know for sure, currently I am one of the famous "American public" who prefers oaky Chardonnay. I'm wondering if the preference for the oak flavor is correlated with enjoying the smell and taste of smoke --which I do (smelling the neighbor's fireplace going, eating smoky cheeses, etc)?