Is This What Buttery California Chardonnay Was Like?

Does the Mondavi Buttery Chardonnay miss the mark, or am I less enamored of the style that I thought I was? The 2023 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Buttery California Chardonnay has alcohol at 12.5% abv and cost only $5, on sale from $12.

This wine is colored yellow-gold. I found the nose to be strange, with apple, pear, and nectarine aromas up front, followed by an odd scent of vanilla and butter. It has a hint of the smell of the butter offered on popcorn at the movies. The palate gives the fruit center stage as well, with oak notes a bit more prominent. The acidity is nice and the mouthfeel is full. It's not a wine I will seek out in the future, even though I rather like buttery Chardonnay.

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San Luis Canyon Chardonnay

The San Luis Canyon Chardonnay was pitched to me as a second label from a fairly well-known winery in California's Central Coast region.  I could not confirm that, so I'll skip past it and get on to the wine.

The nose of this non-vintage wine is very aromatic, and the wood is the most noticeable component.  It's not a very fruity aroma, in fact this is what I would call a big, buttery Chardonnay.  If that's your thing, you'll be alright with this wine.  If it's not, the taste will linger in your mouth all night as an ugly reminder of it.  And I do mean linger.  The finish on this wine is amazingly long, but that won't be a good thing if you didn't like it to begin with.

On the palate, there is some fruit.  It's big with pears, and a butterscotch flavor that dominates even that.  As I said, if you are a fan of the big California Chardonnay, this is it.  If you prefer minerals with your white wine, you will be disappointed.  Fortunately, I like variety.  So a big California Chardonnay happened to be right up my alley this night.  Tomorrow, I'll probably want to go the other way.