Rodney Strong Vineyards

When faced with the somewhat daunting task of wading through a tasting of 25 Chardonnays of the modern era (read: oak, malolactic, low acid), the body cringes.

Then greatest fear: that ennui sets in.

So it was a delightful surprise the other day to find this light, crisp, refreshing wine from an old hand at the game with a more delicate hand than some of his more pricey wines.

Rodney Strong winemaker Rick Sayre has been at this game for a long time, and has long had numerous sources of fruit for his various Chardonnays over the decades.

With some of his designations, the Chardonnays tend to be a bit on the richer, less-crisp side of the ledger, but this wine is an alternative to the overblown style.

Still distinctively Chardonnay in nature, the wine is not one that will have you singing “Oh, WOW!” when you first sniff. But what it offers is a delight: citrus and a faint tropical fruit note, then an entry that shows it was aged in barrels, but you have to search for that delicate note.

It’s a good choice to go with seafood. So when you are faced with a sea of look-alike labels and you don’t want to spend a great deal more than $10 for a Chardonnay, this widely available offering is a sane and safe choice almost no matter where you live.

Reviewed December 5, 2006 by Dan Berger.