Top 10 California Chards & Chard Dishes

[Bucko]

Realizing that I am sick to death of hearing about Beringer PR and Kistler and anything with Helen Turley's name attached, here are a couple that I tried recently:

1997 St. Clement Chardonnay, Abbott's Vineyard, $20, 3,700 cases produced. This full-bodied Chardonnay has crisp acids and lovely apple/tropical fruit to balance the medium degree of oak present. A nice wine to match with shrimp jambalaya.

1997 Hogue Chardonnay, Barrel Select, Columbia Valley, $14, 3,911 cases produced. This well-priced wine is rich, with peach and pear fruit, moderate vanilla oak flavors, and a soft mouthfeel. Only 12% of the wine went through MLF, making this a nice, crisp food wine that will pair well with a cream-based seafood dish such as lobster thermidor.

Joseph Swan remains one of my favorite Chards - ages gracefully - I'm drinking a 93 as I type. I used to like Dehlinger but they have falen in with the oak bomb crowd.