Granted, there’s no worldwide shortage of Chardonnay, but we can never get too many excellent examples at affordable prices. This only gets two months in French oak, but the barrels must nearly all be new, as this has very nice toasty, spicy topnotes. Medium-bodied, with good substance but also fresh acidity, this is admirably complex for less than $35, and at $22, it is a steal.
Pago de Tharsys / Carlota Suria, Utiel-Requena (Valencia, Spain) Chardonnay 2017
By Michael Franz