Full Review

Gravel Bar Winery

Gravel Bar Winery
2019 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley

Pair this wine with:
Chicken Shellfish Turkey

Category: Chardonnay

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.5%
Organically Grown Grapes
86 Points
Silver Medal
Highly Recommended
$17

Gravel Bar Winery
2019 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley

Pair this wine with:
Chicken Shellfish Turkey

Category: Chardonnay

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.5%
Straw green color. Aromas and flavors of buttery pistachio toffee and kettle corn, caramelized tropical fruits, and cheese rind with a satiny, bright, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a smooth, medium-long finish imparting suggestions of table and cider apples and nuts with light oak flavor. A nice, refreshing Chardonnay with a finely balanced dry-yet-fruit character.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Fruity, Juicy & Smooth, New World, Oaky & Savory
Aroma Aroma: buttery pistachio toffee and kettle corn, caramelized tropical fruits, and cheese rind
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with suggestions of table and cider apples and nuts
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry-yet-Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now on its own
Recipes Pairing: Turkey, Roasted Chicken, Boiled Lobster
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A nice, refreshing Chardonnay with a finely balanced dry-yet-fruit character.

The Producer

Bronco Wine Company

The Producer
33 Harlow Court
Napa, CA 94558
USA
1 707-346-6025

Their Portfolio

BR 6 Degrees Cellars 2018 Rose, Pinot Noir, California 12.5% (USA) $13.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Allure Infusions NV Apple & Pear Moscato, California 5.5% (USA) $17.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Allure Infusions NV Mango Moscato, California 5.5% (USA) $17.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Allure Infusions NV Peach Moscato, California 5.5% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Allure Infusions NV Strawberry Moscato, California 5.5% (USA) $15.00.
85 Amusant NV Bubbly Pink, Moscato, California 10% (USA) $14.00.
90 Bivio Italia NV Extra Dry Sparkling Rose, Prosecco di Treviso DOC 11.5% (Italy) $20.00.
BR Blanc De Bleu NV Cuvee Moussex Sec, California 11% (USA) $21.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Camp Crush NV Red Wine, California 12.5% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Camp Crush NV Pink Wine, California 12.5% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Camp Crush NV White Wine, California 12.5% (USA) $15.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Carmenet 2017 Pinot Noir, California 12.5% (USA) $13.00.
BR Carmenet 2020 Chardonnay, California 12.5% (USA) $13.00. - Bronze Medal
88 Carmenet 2017 Red Blend, California 13.5% (USA) $13.00.
89 Carmenet 2020 Merlot, California 12.5% (USA) $16.00.
87 Carmenet 2021 Reserve Buttery, Chardonnay, Lodi 13.5% (USA) $13.00.
93 Carmenet 2021 Chardonnay, California 12.5% (USA) $13.00.
BR Coastal Vines NV Brut Cuvee, California 12% (USA) $6.00. - Bronze Medal
87 De La Costa NV Red Sangria, Red Blend Zinfandel and Merlot, California 11.5% (USA) $6.00.
BR De La Costa NV White Sangria, California 11% (USA) $6.00. - Bronze Medal
BR De La Costa NV Rose Sangria, California 11% (USA) $6.00. - Bronze Medal
86 Gravel Bar Winery 2019 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley 13.5% (USA) $17.00.
BR JFJ NV Extra Dry Sparkling Wine, California 12% (USA) $9.00. - Bronze Medal
89 JFJ NV Brut Champagne, California 12% (USA) $10.00.
BR JFJ NV Almond Flavored Sparkling Wine, California 11% (USA) $10.00. - Bronze Medal
BR L+i NV Chardonnay, California 13% (USA) $19.00. - Bronze Medal
BR L+i NV Pinot Grigio, California 13% (USA) $19.00. - Bronze Medal
BR L+i NV The Bloc Red Blend, California 13% (USA) $19.00. - Bronze Medal
BR L+i NV Rose Of Pinot Noir, California 13% (USA) $19.00. - Bronze Medal
BR La Catrina Classic Margarita Ready-To-Drink Cocktail 13.9% (USA) $17.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Longevity 2019 Chardonnay, California 13.5% (USA) $16.00. - Bronze Medal
86 Longevity 2021 Debra’s Cuvee Rose, Pinot Noir, California 12% (USA) $16.00.
89 Longevity 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, California 13.5% (USA) $16.00.
86 Longevity 2019 Chardonnay, Livermore Valley 13.5% (USA) $16.00.
87 Longevity 2021 Debra’s Cuvée Rosé, Pinot Noir, California 12% (USA) $16.00.
87 Montpellier 2021 Chardonnay, Napa Valley 12.5% (USA) $7.00.
88 Picket Fence 2018 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley 13.5% (USA) $21.00.
90 PINO Cellars 2019 Pinot Noir, Oregon 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
88 PINO Cellars 2022 Rosé, Pinot Noir, California 13.5% (USA) $15.00.
85 Rare Earth 2021 Pinot Grigio, California 12.5% (USA) $14.00.
87 Rosenblum NV Vinter’s Cuvee XXXX, Zinfandel, Lodi 13.9% (USA) $13.00.
85 RSVP NV Brut Sparkling, California 12% (USA) $12.00.
BR Sables D’Azur 2020 Rosé, Côtes De Provence 13% (France) $26.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Salmon Creek NV Brut Sparkling, California 12% (USA) $6.00. - Bronze Medal
87 Shaw 2018 Pinot Noir, California 12.5% (USA) $10.00.
85 Shaw Organic 2021 Rosé, California 11.5% (USA) $8.00.
BR Shaw Organic 2020 Red Blend, California 13% (USA) $8.00. - Bronze Medal
86 Shaw Organic 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, California 12% (USA) $8.00.
86 Shaw Organic 2021 Chardonnay, California 12.5% (USA) $10.00.
85 Shaw Organic 2022 Pinot Grigio, California 12.5% (USA) $10.00.
88 Shaw Organic 2021 Rosé, California 11.5% (USA) $10.00.
BR Tropic Mist NV Mango Strawberry Moscato, California 5.5% (USA) $11.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Tropic Mist NV Blackberry Merlot, California 5.5% (USA) $11.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Tropic Mist NV Exotic Fruits White Zinfandel, California 5.5% (USA) $11.00. - Bronze Medal
BR Tropic Mist NV Raspberry Pink Moscato, California 5.5% (USA) $11.00. - Bronze Medal
93 Villa Roya 2018 Generación De Pasión, Grenache, Calatayud 14.5% (Spain) $16.00.

Chardonnay

Wine Glass White.jpg
Serve in a White Wine Glass
Chardonnay is arguably the world’s most famous white variety, thanks to its success in France’s Burgundy region as well as throughout much of California. Chardonnay on its own has rather straightforward, pleasant aromas of apple and pear, but when aged (and sometimes fermented) in small oak barrels, the wines take on extra richness as well as notes of toasted almond, vanilla and yeast.

The most renowned examples of Chardonnay are from small villages and vineyards in Burgundy, such as Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault. These wines are very powerful with ample spicy notes and very good acidity; they age very well, sometimes as long as 20-25 years. Another part of Burgundy, Chablis, is home to more restrained style of Chardonnay. Certain areas of California, especially Russian River Valley in Sonoma and Santa Barbara County are also home to many distinguished examples of Chardonnay, with those from the latter region often displaying tropical fruit flavors.

Given that most Chardonnnays are aged in small oak barrels, there has been a movement as of late to give consumers a mored delicate style of Chardonnay, without all the spicy and toasty flavors. Thus there are now many producers that produce non-oak aged Chardonnays; this has been seen from many producers from Australia as well as a few in California as well.

Chardonnay, especially oak-aged versions, are quite rich and need seafood of equal richness at the dinner table. Thus lobster, halibut and swordfish are ideal food pairings.