If I like a buttery chard...can you suggest some for me to try?

[kattyeyes]

I know not everyone does, but I know what I like and I do enjoy a buttery chard. For example, I really enjoy 7 Heavenly Chards from Lodi Vineyards:
http://www.lodivineyards.com/7_heaven...

What are other chardonnays under $30 I might try that have a similar buttery characteristic? I recently tried a Pouilly-Fuisse on recommendation of a local wine seller, but I felt it was more viscous than buttery.

[Marge]

I also love buttery chardonnay. The buttery-est one I've had recently is Rombauer, which was about $26/bottle. For half that, I find J.Lohr pretty buttery .

[italy531]

Can I add another twist? I love buttery and oaky. Any recs along those lines?

[whiner]

Italy, all these recs, pretty much, see plenty of oak (that helps impart the butter). What price range are you looking in. As I said, in the full-throttle CA Chard style for $30ish, Beringer Private Reserve would be my choice. But, then again, this really isn't my most prefered style.

[invinotheresverde]

Ferrari Carano Tre Terre will run you around $20 and has more butter and oak than it knows what to do with.

Take the rec. with a grain of salt, as I dislike this style of wine.

[SteveTimko]

Rombauer I believe is ground zero for buttery California chards. The less expensive Ferrari-Carano is also supposed to be fairly buttery.

[anewton]

Yeah, I was going to say that either Ferrari-Carano or Sonoma-Cutrer would do the trick. Newton's basic chardonnay is also a butter-bomb.

[kattyeyes]

Thanks so much, everyone. I know there are many options out there and I'm glad to be able to explore them based on your recommendations.

[tastebudd]

Ferrari is a vacation without leaving home!

[kattyeyes]

I had picked up the Sonoma-Cutrer not realizing it was "on the list" here...had it last night while watching "Bottle Shock"...nice! Thank you!

[Midlife]

A ton of Southern Californians do swear by Rombauer as the king. It usually sells in the high $20 range. Personally, I don't find the last couple of vintages all that buttery at all, but that's just me.

Foley, and I'd echo Sonoma-Cutrer, seem to be a good replacements for Rombauer-lovers. Also, if you can find it, I found a Russian Hill Estate Chard (Russian River Valley) that was almost caramel-ly rich and buttery.

[invinotheresverde]

OP, be careful with the Sonoma Cutrer rec's. The Les Pierres bottling has virtually nothing you're looking for. It's flinty and minerally (as the name implies), without a hint of butter.

[whiner]

If you live near a Safeway, I think they have Berigner Private Reserve at around$30 right now. That would be my easy 1st choice.

Another around $30...

Ladmark Overlook

And just a touch over, from New Zealand, which is not very oaky but deffinitely has that melted butter finish is Kumeu River.

[maria lorraine]

All the recs written are good. (Slight spelling correction --it's Landmark Overlook.)

Some others are Marimar Torres (a really big butterball), Franciscan Sauvage and and also their Reserve Chardonnay.

As anewton says, Newton is good choice. Buttery but not unctuous. All their Chards have good fruit, good acid and a lovely creaminess.

Though buttery chards aren't my favorite, you really have some good choices here.

[Icantread]

Sebastiani's Dutton Ranch Chardonnay will do the trick. The last one I had a couple Thanksgivings back was quite nice and buttery and under $30.

[kattyeyes]

OK, today I'm drinking a different Pouilly-Fuisse--Laboure-Roi Vallon d'Or. It's delicious. What others (foreign or domestic) are similar? Here's an interesting link I found:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/20...

I guess I will just keep sampling on my own if I don't get any replies. Cheers!

[zin1953]

Obviously there is no "butter" in a Chardonnay, but diacetyl is/can be a by-product of fermentation. (Diacetyl is the compound added to that tub of margarine to get it to say "butter" on camera.) It does not HAVE to occur, but it CAN occur. I have no scientific proof of this, but in my experience, it seems to happen more often with Chardonnays grown in warmer climates (like Monterey County, Santa Barbara, Edna Valley, etc.) . . .

You can get some oakiness in French Chardonnays (like to Pouilly-Fuissé from Labouré-Roi), but rarely do you find buttery notes.

Cheers,
Jason

[invinotheresverde]

Agreed. The last thing I think of WRT PF is butter. In fact, I find most of them to be completely void of those characteristics in general (which is why I like them).

OP, French definitely is NOT the way to go for buttery chard 99% of the time. You were given some bad information.

[zin1953]

TO GENERALIZE:

Avoid all French white Burgundies. Period. Stick with varietally-labeled Chardonnays from California and Australia. However, skip Chardonnays from very cool climates, such as from the Sonoma Coast, the Anderson Valley, and most of the Santa Cruz Mountains (California), and the Margaret River (Australia).

Try wines from Monterey and Santa Barbara Counties (e.g.: J. Lohr "Riverstone" and Meridian), or wines like Lindemans "Padthaway" Chardonnay.

[kattyeyes]

OOPS, my reply overlapped yours. Meridian does have that butteriness to it, but I usually use it for making risotto. Not to say it's not good to drink, but just more of an everyday wine for the price. I appreciate your recommendations just the same.