Usually in the chardonnays of Washington you’ll be tasting more apple, pear and lemon than you would in a California bottling of the same varietal, which tends to taste more of tropical fruits.  The Chateau Ste Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay 2006, however, seems to defy this rule of thumb, which shouldn’t come as a complete surprise given that the grapes were grown in one of the warmer areas of Washington state (the Wahluke Slope of the Columbia Valley). 

 Anyway, pineapple along with a couple of the signature flavors of oak - mainly, vanilla and some butterscotch - are what you should expect.

On the whole, I think this is a smart choice for the oaky chardonnay lovers out there.  It’s nicely balanced and has a smooth finish, but what wins me over is the perky tropical fruit flavor.