I'd never been a fan of the new world Chardonnays that seem so popular amongst casual drinkers here in the UK - they've always seemed absurdly over-oaked to the point of achieving a richness which I found quite offputting in a drink. So it's taken me a while to get round to the approximate French equivalents on my tour of the old world. But here we are, and when the moment came to pop the cork I found my curiosity more than a little piqued.
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Has a rich, ripe fruit smell not unlike apple-pie and ice cream with a little hint of wood.
The palate turns out to be much more refined - apples in abundance, certainly, some greengage, perhaps a little mint, definitely some mineral quality and to top it a surprising and refreshing twist of crisp lemon at the finish. The oak is nice and subtle lending some body to the main flavour resolving into some clear notes of wood at the finish.
Pretty classy stuff. 4/5
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Much better than I was expecting, although Chablis remains my favourite expression of Chardonnay.