There are some Napa Valley oaked Chardonnays – those that aren’t too toasty or fruit-forward – that immediately make me think of food, in this case white-meat poultry with or without the cream sauce. Here, the fruit is apples, and the oak is fresh and prickly, a bit like bitters around the edges. Well-structured and full-bodied.
Beringer Vineyards, Napa Valley (California) Chardonnay 2022
By Roger Morris