Vanilla flavour?

[Innkeeper]

As mentioned, almost all CA Chardonnay has some oak in it one way or another. I think the most pronouced vanilla comes from those that have been aged in older oak. Otherwise you get the "toasty oak" flavor which is more pronounced. For old barrel aged Chard you need to look at the $20 price point or more. Ask your retailer for recommendations for wines of this description.