Sometimes a wine comes along that makes you stand up and take notice right from the get-go; other wines sneak up on you and just seem to get better the more you taste it… this is one of those wines – there seems to be a new sensation in every sip. First there’s that in your face smell of vanilla, butterscotch, oak and unripe peach that is almost literally like a slap in the face when you put the glass up to your nose. Now I’m not one for overly oaky Chardonnay; but this one fools you with those big smells, in a good way, you think heavy oak but you’ll find some delicate nuances here. At first, the flavours burst in your mouth and accost your tongue but there’s a hidden refined elegance here, something that causes you to take another sip because you realize that was really tasty, you just have to dive in and figure out the flavours. Vanilla and buttery oak fill the mouth on the first go, but there are underlying fruit nuances which will come more to the fore if you give it a few years to integrate with the wood – then they’ll fully pop in your mouth – you just need a little willpower and the patience to wait. Keep sipping and you’ll find a nice acid balance and a medium length finish. A couple more swirls and sips and there’s yet another layer to this wine, a creaminess on the palate that coats leaving behind a pear-cream finish that seems to go on and on and on. Speaking of going on I could, but why not try one for yourself, you won’t be disappointed. Price: $39.95 – Rating: *****