Columbia Winery Chardonnay 2013: Pale yellow color; apple, tropical fruit, pear on the nose;
green apple, pear, peach, citrus, cucumber on the palate; some butter and sweet oak (but nicely restrained), balancing acidity; very clean, made to pleasure plenty of people, if not to beguile chard highbrow cliques (who opt for pours named Pouilly-Fuissé and Puligny-Mantrachet just so they can show off their French and scoff at more approachable New World efforts). This is nice expression of Washington State chardonnay, cleaner and less fruity-oaked than many California efforts (although, to be fair, many CA makers have backed off from over-oaked fruit and butter bombs that engendered the Anything But Chardonnay movement). Columbia Winery split the difference between French austerity and crazed Central Valley overkill to deliver a versatile, easy drinking delight. $14 