Donovan-Parke Chardonnay

A bit of a conundrum; the amount of oak makes it unappealing as an aperitif, but coupled with the high acidity makes for a beautiful food accompaniment Improved over a few days, does not feel 7 years old

Bunch of samples : Light yellow color. Nose boasts yellow apples, lemon curd, apricot, along with toasted almond, whipped butter and sea salt. Full and rich, a bold and classic style but fresh acidity keeps it lively. Lemon curd, bruised apple, mixed with nougat, honey butter, spiced white tea, sea salt and ginger. Bold but lovely depth and balance. About a third of the wine goes through maloactic fermentation, and the wine is aged nine months in ¼ new French …

I don't write really technical notes. We drank this along with a Bridlewood Estate 2016, to compare them. My wife preferred this one, which has nice citrus on the tongue and the nose. Neither had the buttery aspect that has tended to characterize Chard until recently. I and our grandson preferred the Bridlewood's spicy quality. Both were very enjoyable.