Continuing our marathon California chardonnay week, we look at a $13 contender from 2009 that is unoaked and seems to be available only at Total Wine.
Bias alert! I’m doing this series because I don’t generally like California chardonnays — so if I can recommend one, it’s probably good enough for most people. I am not a normal, impartial judge of this kind of wine.
It’s here! A recommended California chardonnay below $20. (We also recommended the $20 buttery and intense William Hill chardonnay.)
The Dominican Oaks Unoaked chardonnay wins BOTH “most contradictory name” and “best chardonnay under $20” in our reviews so far. It smells like honeysuckles (if you aren’t familiar with this plant, it is a divine aroma). Not terribly complex, but very clean. It’s balanced: you get some minerally tartness, and some light sweetness. Flavors concentrate on lemon-lime and peach. It’s light, easy to drink, delicious, and its taste is refreshingly natural.
And note: winning “best chardonnay under $20” means that Dominican Oaks Unoaked is better than the $6 Jacob’s Creek, which sounds like faint praise except that the turbocharged value machine Jacob’s Creek has beaten every single chardonnay that we have reviewed from California, at any price, except William Hill.
This mystery wine with the ironic name, no website, no pictures of anything from 2009 and no reviews that I could find is hereby:
Recommended.
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