Where to Taste the Best Chardonnay in Sonoma County Wine Country

Chardonnay is a best-selling wine all over the world, and the leading white varietal in Sonoma County Wine Country. Some 15,800 acres of grapes for this popular varietal are grown in Sonoma County, California, where wine tasters find excellent styles and brands that represent some of the best Chardonnays. 

Here are a few excellent wineries to taste Chardonnay. Reservations are usually required, so use these helpful links to book a spot for a memorable wine-tasting adventure in Sonoma County Wine Country.

Stonestreet Estate Vineyards, Healdsburg

Kendall-Jackson’s “Vintner’s Reserve” Chardonnay famously rose to popularity, helping to make inexpensive, barrel-aged Chardonnay an American staple. Founder Jess Jackson turned to mountain-grown wines at Stonestreet, which include single-vineyard batches that exemplify the Jackson style of Chardonnay — a desirable intensity carved from an extreme landscape.

Stonestreet is one of the most impressive mountain estates in the world. Tastings are available at the winery, including mountain excursions that give you Chardonnay with a view.

Robert Young Estate Winery, Geyserville

Robert Young was one of the first to plant French Dijon Chardonnay clones in Alexander Valley. The fruits of this careful labor produce a distinctive Chardonnay with lifted aromatics, rich textural body, and flavor intensity. Try their different estate-grown Chardonnays, each with a distinctive flavor profile ranging from aromatic and bright to rich and tropical, with extended French Oak aging. Taste for yourself at this hilltop overlook with stunning 360-degree vineyard views.

Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg

Rodney Strong Vineyards crafts world-class Chardonnay from Sonoma County fruit across 13 sustainably farmed vineyards. Capturing the beautifully layered character of some of the best Chardonnay in Sonoma County Wine Country, Rodney Strong matches its grape varieties to growing conditions and soils across this region to perfect balance and flavor.

Nestled in the Russian River Valley, the winery’s wine bar and tasting room are family-friendly with outdoor seating. Reservations are required for tours, tastings, or food and wine pairings.

Bacigalupi Vineyards, Healdsburg

Since 1956, the Bacigalupi Family has grown grapes in Sonoma County, so it’s no wonder California Chardonnay history parks here — along with Helen Bacigalupi’s vintage Volkswagen truck with which she delivered Chardonnay grapes made famous by the “Paris Tasting” of 1976. The iconic red VW remains on the property, and the winery is an important stop for notable Chardonnays. Beautifully floral with aromas of honeysuckle, white peach, and tropical notes, you can taste the generations of devotion in every sip.

Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery, Healdsburg

Perched atop a little hill, Gary Farrell commands a great view of the forested ridges between the valley and the sea. But you think Gary Farrell, and you think Pinot Noir, right? While it’s true that the one-time wunderkind vintner gained fame for the red Burgundian grape, the winery’s current Chardonnay lineup is a like roll call of great Russian River Valley vineyards, including Rochioli, Ritchie, Bacigalupi, and Olivet Lane, plus Sonoma Valley’s Durell, which is owned by one of the winery’s current owners.

Dutton Estate Winery, Sebastopol

This Sebastopol-area tasting room’s homey, humble setting is a scenic 30-minute drive south of Healdsburg. This is the comfortable home tasting room of a family that supplies Sonoma County winemakers with some of the best and the oldest Chardonnay in the region. It’s inviting and worth a stop.

Pellegrini-Olivet Lane, Santa Rosa

In the central area of the Russian River Valley, the Pellegrini family farms one of the older Chardonnay vineyards in Sonoma County, called Olivet Lane. Here, even the “unoaked” Chardonnay displays a characterful intensity that elevates the wine.

Matanzas Creek Winery, Santa Rosa

Set amid estate vineyards and famed for its lavender fields, Matanzas Creek helped define a style with its rich, buttery Chardonnay of the 1980s, which reportedly originated with ingredients from the winery’s days as a dairy. It is worth a visit for Chardonnay pilgrims.

Landmark Vineyards, Kenwood

Best known for their widely distributed Overlook Chardonnay, Landmark sources from top vineyards like Lorenzo, Heintz, and Rodgers Creek, and the house style showcases a lean, elegant version of barrel-aged Chardonnay that challenges “oaky” stereotypes. The winery is in picturesque Kenwood, but if you’re still back on Westside Road, they’ve also opened a new tasting room.

Patz & Hall, Sonoma

Over the years, this restaurant-focused brand has developed relationships with great Chardonnay (and Pinot Noir) growers and vineyards, such as Chenoweth Ranch, Gap’s Crown, and Dutton Family, since the 1980s. Their stylish new wine-tasting salon, situated a mile outside the town of Sonoma, offers seated tastings by appointment.

Anaba Wines, Sonoma

Anaba is named from the anabatic winds that flow through the vineyards — perfect for the 45-foot wind turbine on this estate, where wine tasters are treated to highly-rated Chardonnays. Experience Chardonnays with aromas ranging from pineapple, stonefruit, and white flowers. On the palate, Anaba Chardonnays offer notes of lemon curd, apple, pear, peach, or chamomile. Whatever Chardonnay you sip here, you will feel like a touch of California sunshine has graced your glass.

Chateau St. Jean, Kenwood

This “must-see” historic winery and vineyard on a 250-acre estate has a gracious style and exquisite architecture that evokes the atmosphere of a European chateau and gardens. Chateau St. Jean is known for its outstanding wines, including exceptional Chardonnays you won’t want to miss. Choose a tasting experience or visit the French-inspired deli to enjoy a picnic in the inviting gardens and pack Chateau St. Jean’s highly-regarded Chardonnay for your spread.

Find delicious places to eat and great hotels & lodging in Sonoma County, California. 

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Written by Sonoma Insider James Knight.