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Murphy Goode 2021 Chardonnay
Savvy Review:
Murphy- Goode California Chardonnay:
Available at Most Retailers: $ 10.99-$13.99
Everyday Drinking Alternative for: La Crema (Monterey, Sonoma), Decoy, Ferrari Curano
Savvy’s PRICE/ ENJOYMENT (P/ E) Rating: 7 – GOOD BUY!
Price- 4 POINTS
Enjoyment- 3 POINTS
Savvy’s Real Wine Talk Notes:
This wine was quite easy to enjoy and drink, with it not being too oaky or too acidic. I think it was pretty well balanced, especially for a wine in this price point. Other good news is I didn’t get a headache from this bottle (which I sometimes do when drinking certain chardonnays). You can find this wine in most grocery and liquor stores, all though you might have to look at the bottom shelf for it.
Murphy Goode is currently part of the Jackson (Kendall- Jackson) family of wines (they also own La Crema) .
Toasted Head 2022 Chardonnay
Available at Most Retailers: $9.99-$11.99
Everyday Drinking Alternative for: Kendall- Jackson, Josh Cellars, Sonoma Cutrer
Savvy’s PRICE/ ENJOYMENT (P/ E) Rating: 8 POINTS--GOOD BUY!
Price- 5 POINTS
Enjoyment- 3 POINTS
Savvy’s Real Wine Talk Notes:
If you like a good hint of oak in your chardonnay this is a good wine to try. For me it was a little over on the oak, but I am also super sensitive to oak as I tend to enjoy white wines with less oak presence. In addition the acidity was completely in check which is something I do like.
You can find this wine in most grocery and liquor stores, all though you might have to look at the bottom shelf for it as well.
The original Toasted Head Chardonnay from years ago was a bit better when it was specifically from Dunnigan Hills ( great little appellation for chardonnay in Northern CA), before it was purchased by Gallo. But Gallo still has done a fairly decent job in keeping up the legacy of this wine in my opinion.
Mark West 2022 Chardonnay
Available at Most Retailers: $10.99-$12.99
Everyday Drinking Alternative for: Jam Cellars, Kendall- Jackson, La Crema
Savvy’s PRICE/ ENJOYMENT (P/ E) Rating: 7 – GOOD BUY!
* Price- 4 POINTS
* Enjoyment- 3 POINTS
Savvy’s Real Wine Talk Notes:
This Chardonnay came a nice surprise of sorts, as I was expecting it to be less balanced than it was. This was a nice little balanced sipper with not too much oak, but it wasn’t puny either. This is a good one for that after work sip when you might have a few minutes to yourself to unwind.
Mark West Wines made its name for itself for being one of the most affordable and decent Pinot Noirs in the country. It has a huge boost with the movie Sideways that came out in 2004 and made Pinot noir one of the most popular varietals on the market. Along with the success of the pinot, the winery also released a chardonnay at the time (around 2002), which was amply oaked. In 2012 however, the Mark West Brand was acquired by Constellation Brands, and it has now folded the wine brand into its vast portfolio of wines. As I am normally not a fan of what happens to the integrity of a wine brand when it gets bought by constellation, I will say that in this case, the chardonnay is much more appealing to me than it was previously.
Estancia 2022 Chardonnay
Available at Most Retailers: $9.99-$11.99
Everyday Drinking Alternative for: La Crema, Sonoma Cutrer, Decoy
Savvy’s PRICE/ ENJOYMENT Rating: PERFECT 10- EXCELLENT BUY
PRICE- 5 POINTS
ENJOYMENT- 5 POINTS
I was incredibly happy as well as surprised with this excellent chardonnay, and knowing I paid only $10 for it made it even better. Estancia Chardonnay although is labeled “California”, it is clear that the majority of the fruit is from the Monterey area and it shows. This wine is one of the best-balanced chardonnays I have had in a long time, with just enough oak to give it a real backbone. I highly recommended this wine for chardonnay drinkers to have with your evening meal.
Estancia Vineyards has been around quite a long time and now has gone through 2 ownership changes. The winery was founded in 1986 by Agustin Huneeus, then of Franciscan Estates when he purchased vineyards neat Soledad. Estancia was then purchased by wine behemoth Constellation Brands int 2001. In 2019, Estancia was then sold to E&J Gallo Winery, who in my opinion has made this wine really good once again!