good taste

In the absence of popular richly flavoured chardonnays from California, wine lovers are on the hunt for alternatives. There’s an audience that craves creamy textures and buttery characters to replace fuller-bodied styles, such as Bread & Butter, Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve and Rombauer. Their quest comes with challenges as fresher and focused styles have become popular with winemakers and many consumers around the world, but there are labels that lean toward more generous and hedonistic profiles, including these three current releases.

Flat Rock The OC Chardonnay 2023 (Canada), $34.95

Rating: 88

The OC is short for The Oaked Chardonnay, a special release from Flat Rock Cellars’ Monolith series, which shares some of the winemaking team’s research projects with customers.

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