I find Chardonnay in general to be bland and tasteless. It takes secondary malolactic fermentation and oak aging to give it any taste, but that is usually over the top in the cheaper bottles from California and to a lesser degree in bottles from Southern Australia. Cheap bottles are typically aged with oak chips verses new barrels and they all taste like a stick of butter to me. About the only Chard I can tolerate is White Oak. They use oak barrels and a very mild malolactic fermentation.

I’ve had three of the chards you guys tasted (never had the Gretzky) and find you results mirror mine. If you ever see a White Oak, pick it up. I think you’ll like it.

Disclaimer: I haven’t quite figured out how to gauge any white wine yet…..I’m not a big fan of it.


I had a nice Shiraz / Viogner blend last night. It was a Zonte's Footstep from Southern Australia (Langhorne Creek). Very smooth and just a bit on the acidic side to give it a nice zing. Unique bouquet with raspberries and melon. $15 from wine.com.