Estancia, Chardonnay, California, USA, 2018

It's always been tough to find good California wines at a reasonable price in the UK market. This Chardonnay from Monterey County ticks the boxes, delivering just what you'd expect at this level, at a price that won't break the bank. Estancia uses whole-cluster fermentation and barrel fermentation to produce a wine with fresh and lifted aromas of pineapple, stone fruit, white flowers and hazelnut. There's a long and creamy length, and a little sweetness (6g/L residual sugar) but in no way cloying. A strong new addition to Tesco's New World Chardonnay range.