Not oaky!

November 23, 2006 9:57 AM

Very specific wine question. We're looking for a Chardonnay that has a very creamy, buttery finish. The example is Rombauer at $30 per bottle. What do you know of for way, way less that has this quality?
posted by fixedgear to food & drink (14 comments total)

I like Lindemans Bin 65 Chardonnay. It's oak-y, buttery and great with steamed mussels. At $10.95 CDN, the price is great.
posted by KathyK at 10:23 AM on November 23, 2006

You don't specify what you mean by "way, way less," but I'll assume you mean "under $10." In this category, the Turning Leaf Chardonnay is decent.
posted by cerebus19 at 10:25 AM on November 23, 2006

La Crema Chardonnay
posted by caddis at 10:31 AM on November 23, 2006

Fat Bastard Chardonnay. Between $10 - $15 USD.
posted by berk at 10:51 AM on November 23, 2006

Undurraga is my favorite cheap Chilean Chardonnay. Looking around the Web I find it described as "slightly buttery" but more often "fruity,"so it might not quite fit the bill.
posted by RogerB at 11:06 AM on November 23, 2006

The 2001 Bridgman Chardonnay, if you can find it, has the qualities you're looking for and usually sells for around $10 USD per bottle.
posted by dflemingdotorg at 11:09 AM on November 23, 2006

This is a link to the Bridgman Chardonnay, if interested.
posted by dflemingdotorg at 11:10 AM on November 23, 2006

Butterfield Station. $6 per bottle at BevMo, but I've seen it as high as $11 outside of California.
posted by aberrant at 11:56 AM on November 23, 2006

Columbia Crest Chardonnay. If it's available outside Oregon and Washington. Cheap, super yummy.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 12:07 PM on November 23, 2006

Not a direct recommendation per se, but possibly useful information:

The descriptors creamy and buttery are most often used for white wine that has undergone malolactic fermentation. This will be indicated on many bottles, so you can keep an eye out for it if you're just browsing.

I noticed though that your title is "Not Oaky!". MLF is most often used in oaked white wines, so if you are specifically looking for an unoaked white with a buttery finish you may be out of luck. A moderately oaked white that has undergone MLF may be just the thing though, if your objection is to a heavily oaked taste.

Hope that helps.
posted by aquafiend at 12:22 PM on November 23, 2006

e.g. both the Bridgman and Lindemans linked above mentioned MLF explicitly in their description, whereas the fat bastard chardonnay specifically mentions that MLF was prevented (I would expect a less buttery finish as a result)
posted by aquafiend at 12:50 PM on November 23, 2006

Update: The highly recomended $15 wine store one is a disapointment, I think I'll try some of the ones here. Malolactic = milk, cream, butter makes a lot of sense, so yeah.
posted by fixedgear at 1:14 PM on November 23, 2006

If you want a Chardonnay that has never touched oak but has that buttery taste you can find tons of them in CA. White Oak is my favourite for around $15. MIght be hard to find depending on where you are, but any reputable wine shop can point you to a moderately priced stainless only Chardonnay.
posted by fshgrl at 8:37 PM on November 23, 2006

If you like Rombauer, why don't you just buy Rombauer? Drink 1 bottle that you love instead of gulping down 2 bottles of cheaper wine.
posted by xoe26 at 2:34 AM on November 24, 2006