Imagery Estate Winery Chardonnay, White Wine, 750ml

Chardonnay is the grape here, and the name settles less than it might seem. Official category guides say Chardonnay made without oak keeps a lighter shape, while oak and time on the spent yeast can add toast, spice and a rounder texture; the fruit runs from citrus and apple in cooler examples to stone fruit or tropical fruit in riper ones. How much oak shapes it is a choice the winery makes.

In our September 2026 checks the shelf price fell between $14.99 and $22.99. We do not have a shopper rating for this wine; among the ones shoppers have scored, the middle rating is 4.71, a general marker rather than a read on this bottle. Imagery Estate Winery gives its estate and winery address as 14335 Highway 12 in Glen Ellen, California.

Imagery's own technical sheet for the 2023 vintage, the only Chardonnay currently on the winery's site and priced close to what we have tracked here, lists 13.5 percent alcohol and describes a wine built from grapes sourced across several California appellations rather than a single estate vineyard. The winemaking notes say the wine was cold-fermented for about two months to keep its fruit character fresh, saw only minimal time in French oak, and went through a partial version of the softening process winemakers use to add roundness and texture, while the producer says the wine kept its naturally bright acidity. The producer's tasting notes describe pale gold color, aromas of apple, citrus and butterscotch, and a dry, medium-bodied palate with “subtle oak, refreshing green apple, and delectable vanilla” on the finish, the producer's words. Jamie Benziger, who has led Imagery's winemaking since 2017, is credited on the technical sheet.

Our call: a solid pick if a fully disclosed technical sheet and a named, credentialed winemaker matter to you at this price; Imagery states the alcohol level, the fermentation choices and the oak treatment for this vintage in plain numbers, and credits Jamie Benziger, who has led the estate's winemaking since 2017. Pass if you want a wine sourced from one named vineyard rather than a blend across California appellations, or if the shopper crowd is part of your decision; no rating has reached our record for this bottle.

The Grocery Store Wine Desk · written Sep 16, 2026 from our research file for this wine. Numbers reflect our latest checks.