Wine Review: Stella Alpina Chardonnay 2012 Alto Adige ITALY

Yes I know most of the wine has gone...

I am a massive chardonnay fan, I will always choose it over the ever popular sauvignon blanc. I also love Italian wine, their bold, full bodied reds and their easy drinking, light whites. So when this wine came to our store (on a great offer) I had to try some!

Coming from Alto Adige, the most northern wine region of Italy. The grapes are grown in a cool climate so I was expecting a cheap burgundian style. I was right to some extent, though way off on the quality! the wine has a lovely buttery texture with a steely edge, typical of burgundy chardonnay. I was surprised at the depth and finish this wine has, and a lovely smoothness which goes down almost too well. well balance with hints of lychee and pineapple. This is a lot better than many burgundies I have tried.

On reflection, I'm not sure why I was so surprised at how good this wine is. Stella Alpina also do an amazing pinot grigio, much better than the cheap stuff constantly ploughed out of Italy. This is the first 100% chardonnay I've tried from Italy. I recently had the chardonnay, pinot grigio blend from Sainsbury's which was, frankly, weird. (drinkable! but weird…) I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for more to compare. In the mean time, this is a must try for any chardonnay lover.

I would recommend not drinking it too cold! always leave your white wines out for 10-15 minutes before drinking so that you can get the full flavour of the wine.

Currently at £9.32 as part of Majestic's Pick and Mix offer (buy 2 save 33.33% single bottle price: £13.99)

Worth every penny! get some before I grab it all….