West Bend Vineyards Barrel Chardonnay 2006

This chardonnay had a bigger bouquet, better integration and a longer finish than the stainless steel chard. I got figs, vanilla and a twang of acidity. It was mouthfilling and satisfying, and I got a bottle for $19.95(the wife was particularly fond of it).

West Bend Vineyards Chardonnay 2006

This is West Bend's unoaked chardonnay. It is a clean, very drinkable wine with flavors of pear and vanilla. There is a bit of tartness there which is quite appetizing. Of the unoaked NC chardonnays I've had so far, I think I like this one best.

Hanover Park Barrel Chardonnay 2006

This is the oaked version of their chardonnay. As I expected, I like this one a bit better because I like the added complexity. Things I got out of this wine include orange marmalade, wood and a wee bit of vanilla. It's nice and dry, too. The food that comes to mind is pan-seared tilapia with some mango salsa.

Hanover Park Unoaked Chardonnay 2006

Classic, albeit restrained, chardonnay aroma of buttery figs and vanilla. It's a clean, simple wine with a pleasing tang of lemon in the finish. I'd like to have this with some broiled catfish.

RayLen SMV Chardonnay 2006

This one was one of the highlights of my visit to this winery. The grapes come from the South Mountain Vineyard in Burke County.
The nose was bigger than the regular barrel chardonnay, with a more perfumy character. I smelled figs, butter, apricots and some subtle suggestion of meat (in a good, appetizing way). The palate is clean, with plenty of everything in the bouquet. Nice, long finish. I bought a bottle of this one($15).

RayLen Barrel Chardonnay 2006

This is Raylen's oaked chardonnay. The bouquet has figs, butter, vanilla and perhaps flowers. When it comes to oak vs stainless steel in chardonnay, I seem to be an oak man. This is a very satisfying wine, with a bit more complexity, depth and finish than the unoaked version.

RayLen Chardonnay 2005

This is RayLen's unoaked version of chardonnay. The nose has the classic chardonnay elements of butter and vanilla with an added hint of cedar and cinnamon. It's a nice, refreshing wine with some nice apricot/pear flavors and a bit of acidity.