Evan, I appreciate the palate remarks. It's not that I don't think chardonnays can be great when unoaked, I just didn't find that a lot of these were over-oaked. Essentially, everyone's palate is different, and I give your palate as much respect as you give mine. I also have the bias of being a Canadian wine (and Niagara chardonnay) lover. Would be interesting to see what I thought in a double blind tasting...

I am really disappointed in Evan's comments about Niagara chardonnay. I also think he is completely wrong in this regard. Sure, some chardonnay based wines from Chablis can do quite well without oak, however the majority of the world's best chardonnays are indeed, oaked. Are some Niagara chardonnays over oaked? Absolutely, but you can say that about anywhere in the world. However I feel the wines we tasted this weekend (I tasted the same ones, many for the first time) showed incredibly well. Buttered popcorn came up once in my tasting notes, but they are dominated by notes of fruit and positive remarks. Les Clos Jordanne, Lailey, Hillebrand, Tawse, Hidden Bench and Ravine all see oak, but have two main distinctions from many oaked chardonnays. They have ample fruit to support it, and the acidity that comes from Niagara's cool climate make them some of the most complex in the world. Not to mention that these wines show where they are from. Terroir expression is one of the most important things in the wine world, and these wines do just that: express themselves.