Chateau Ste. Michelle 2015 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $15
Best Buy! One of the Pacific Northwest’s leading bottlings of any white wine touches on a number of the reasons why Chardonnay is the white of choice for many Americans. Buttery and toasty aromas include lemon curd, pear, pineapple and almond. There’s more butterscotch that begins the stream across the palate, followed by a creaminess and pineapple. Those signs of six months of surlie aging in barrel, which accounted for about half of the bottling, give way to Golden Delicious apple and lime juice, a combination capped by a finish of almond paste. Complementary entrees include crab, salmon, scallops and poultry influenced by herbs such as tarragon or thyme as well as ginger or lemon zest. Retailers often offer this wine at closer to $11 per bottle.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 115,000 cases
Alcohol: 14%
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