About Chardonnay from USA

About Chardonnay from USA
The United States is one of the most important players in the wine industry. On sheer numbers alone, the US is the fourth largest country in terms of total production; but it is the outstanding quality of wines from the US that is an additional part of its worldwide prestige. While the first wines produced in the colonies date back to the late 18th century, it has only been since the mid-1960s that the US has entered the premium wine market on a large scale. California, especially Napa Valley and Sonoma County were the areas that drove the new quality movement. Other areas in California also were home to great wines; soon Washington and Oregon were home to first-class wines as well. New York State, especially the Finger Lakes are was rediscovered for its Rieslings and soon wineries started opening in states such as Texas, Virginia and North Carolina. Today, 90% of domestic premium wine is produced in California and there are several wine types that share the spotlight; these include Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, Pinot Noir from Sonoma's Russian River Valley as well as Santa Barbara County and Chardonnay from several regions, such as Monterey and Sonoma County. Bordeaux-styles reds from Washington State have received great acclaim as have Oregon Pinot Noirs. Today, the United States is in an enviable position of being one of the largest producers of wine as well as one of the most celebrated.

Top Picks for USA

Chardonnay

Weis Vineyards 2024 Unoaked Chardonnay
96 points
$20
Best Buy
Pineapple and lemon, papaya and lime, deftly balances tropical and citrus with the satisfaction of a buttery Chardonnay without the butter - pair with olive oil poached salmon. Impressive!.
Awards: 2025 New York Wine Classic - Best Chardonnay (Unoaked) 2025 New York Wine Classic - Best Overall Chardonnay
96 points $20 Best Buy
Johnson Estate 2023 Freelings Creek Reserve Bright Steel Chardonnay
95 points
$16
Best Buy
Sunshine in a glass, apples-pear-melon plus tangerine, refreshing and clean, a pure wine showing off what Chardonnay can be without barrel aging: Chablis-ish.
95 points $16 Best Buy
Golden Muse Winery 2023 Nadar Chardonnay
94 points
$34
This voluptuous Chardonnay practically orders the lobster itself, layers of pineapple, apple pie spice and guava are complemented by just the right touch of oak.
Awards: '2025 Taste Michigan Governor's Cup - Best Vinifera White Wine' 2025 Taste Michigan Governor's Cup - Governor's Case Winner
Mira Winery 2019 Napa Valley Chardonnay
94 points
$50
Beautiful fruit, light oak that is well in balance with potential for some cellar age and improvement with secondary characteristics; exactly what you want for benchmark Napa Chardonnay.
Bright Leaf Vineyard 2021 Estate Chardonnay
94 points
$18
Best Buy
Light and crisp with pleasing aromas of green apple, citrus, and creme fraiche; this is a stellar domestic version in line with a Village Chablis.
94 points $18 Best Buy
Jarvis 2021 Finch Hollow Chardonnay
94 points
$195
With a harmonious balance of fruit, floral, malo, and barrel, this is excellent now and will likely become something special in 5 to 10 years.
Jarvis 2021 Unfiltered Finch Hollow Chardonnay
94 points
$215
A special wine that will benefit with age and it would be fun to taste this side by side with some white Burgundy, particularly Corton Charlemagne and Chassagne Montrachet to see where it stacks up.
Clovis Point 2023 Black Label Chardonnay
93 points
$28
Zippy, fragrant Pinot Gris brings a sunbeam of fresh air to vanilla toasty apple-lemon-crunchy pear-pineapple flavored Chardonnay for a lovely glass of white, a smart and purposeful off-the-beaten-path Chardonnay blend.
Davis Family Vineyards 2021  Chardonnay
93 points
$40
Rich, smooth, and decadent with enough acid to pair with foods; try with lobster or King Crab.
Wine Spots 2021  Chardonnay
93 points
$25
A Chardonnay showing exquisite balance; food friendly, and would make a great BTG at many restaurants.