I definitely do not feature Chardonnay from California that often.  It just is not my favorite style of wine.  Unless it is White Burgundy, I usually will take a pass on it.  However, I took a chance on a wine that is not very well known and was very impressed. 

Jax Vineyard is a brother sister team that has built this brand into a very high quality and high scoring winery.  We were able to get our hands on some of their Chardonnay at an amazing price.  This wine typically goes for around $40, and we have it under $30.  It is sourced from the famous Dutton Ranch's Sebastopol Vineyard.  So many amazing Chardonnay come from this area.  

Stylistically, this wine has slightly more oak and creaminess than I usually prefer, but the balance of fruit really helps.  It has really nice tropical fruit and also some apple and pear notes that really keep the oak and creaminess in balance.  This is just the perfect Chardonnay for a creamy chicken pasta dish.  It is by far a food wine in my opinion.  This vintage got 90-points from Wine Enthusiast. "With its rich nose of tropical opulence, this white shines in oak, caramel apple and buttery goodness, a full-bodied expression of the grape that shows good farming and good winemaking in harmony."

So, I am going to keep this week short since it was kind of a surprise pick on my part.  This is definitely well worth a try, especially if you are a fan of California Chardonnay.

Jax Vineyards Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 2019

-Patrick Mulrooney