Backhouse California Chardonnay 2023Finding value in California wine is no easy task here in the UK, but a few producers, manage to produce high quality wines at eminently affordable prices. Foremost among them are Backhouse, a label of O'Neill vintners dedicated to producing affordable, yet delicious, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Bright and refreshing with a refined texture, this Chardonnay bursts with notes of orchard fruit and citrus, alongside subtle hints of vanilla and oak spice.

A perfect wintery wine

enhancing the mineral character and vibrant fruit expression of the blend

laurel and cedar notes building into a long saline mineral finish

The palate is silky and medium-bodied

Under his guidance

and very drinkable

the hallmark of great Sauternes

The nose is peppery with black cherries

the chateau sustained significant damage during WW2 but has been painstakingly restored since the Chevallier family acquired the property in the 1960s

According to the company

Now managed by the younger generation

one of those being their incredible take on our favourite Rhone valley grape