Far too many New World Chardonnays have over-ripe fruit and so much spicy oak that you feel you've been whacked in the face with a plank. Stoneleigh Vineyard Chardonnay 1995/6 (outlets below, £7.99-£8.99)
shows how it should be done, with soft, elegant fruit, fresh acidity, the creaminess that comes from barrel-fermentation and just a hint of that mineral quality that makes Chardonnay interesting. All for a relatively modest sum. From Corbans, a giant company with a cheeringly individualistic approach.
