Elizabeth Spencer Winery, Mendocino County (California) Chardonnay 2022

 As tasteful as it is tasty, this is medium-bodied, lightly oaked Chardonnay that is fully satisfying without any trickery by dint of very pure fruit aromas and flavors.  I don’t know which Critics Challenge judge (or pair of judges) pegged this as Platinum in quality, but I’m impressed by the accomplishment, as this is the sort of wine that can get “lost” in a competition with plenty of “showy” wines that can overshadow “tasteful” wines that would actually prove much more enjoyable over the course of a meal or an evening.  Simply delicious.