Past Issues: Bargain Wine, oct/nov 2005 --
Chardonnay $15 and Under

In this regular feature, we spotlight those wines that offer great bang for the buck -- under $15 bucks, to be exact. Here you'll find our everyday wines, house pours, and occasionally a great new find. Have a favorite Bargain Wine? Tell us about it at editor@wineskinny.com! 

Cooler weather is a great time for Chardonnay, with its full bodied, rich character and lush flavors. We've been tasting through lots of $15-and-under choices, looking for bottles that are perfect for fall and holiday gatherings. Here are our picks:

Calera 2002 Chardonnay Central Coast ($14). If you're looking for complexity at a Bargain price, you couldn't do much better than this. Earth, mineral, lemon curd and toast accent juicy pear and a touch of peach. Lingers delightfully. Ready to drink now.

Chalone 2004 Chardonnay Monterey County ($12). Crisp, aromatic pear and nectarine fruit is deftly accented with freshly grated nutmeg, toasty oak and a burst of fresh citrus on the appealing finish. Ready to drink now.

Echelon 2003 Chardonnay Central Coast ($10). Really pretty, especially at this price. With creamy pear and fig flavors picking up juicy lemon and, finally, buttery oak on the finish.

Goundrey 2003 Chardonnay Western Australia Offspring ($15). Lively citrus mingles with ripe fig and pear fruit, with touches of cream and toast. Ready to drink now.

Grove Mill 2003 Chardonnay Marlborough ($18). Silky and ripe, with fig, pear, orange zest and buttery, spicy oak accents. A lot of wine for the money. Ready to drink now. (World Wide Wine 08/05)

Stone Cellars by Beringer 2004 Chardonnay California ($8). Juicy apple and sweet peach fruit are light and easy, with vanilla and cream on the finish. Ready to drink now.

Tyrrell's Wines 2004 Chardonnay South Eastern Australia Lost Block ($14). Quite citrusy and fresh, with tropical melon and cream flavors adding body and roundness that linger nicely through the finish. Ready to drink now.

Wolf Blass 2003 Chardonnay South Australia Presidents Selection ($14). Rated a "scads better than the last bunch of wines" in a recent tasting, offering juicy peach, focused citrus and orange zest, and honeyed fig flavors that wrap up nicely in the generous finish. Nice winemaking for the money. Ready to drink now.

Check out previous Bargain Wines selections!
This now-fabulously-named column used to be called Easy To Find One Figure Wines, for reasons that we cannot currently remember but were surely enthusiastic about at the time. Anyhoo, check out our Past Issue Index for more great value-priced wine selections!