Southbrook has always been known for their award winning Triomphe (Reserve) line of Chardonnays, but this little barrel-fermented beauty shows they are making great Chardonnay at both ends of the spectrum. With the wine making team of Steve Byfield and Ann Sperling and an imminent move to Niagara scheduled for early 2007, we’re expecting even greater things from this winery. But considering that Miss Sperling joined at the end of 2005 – this Chardonnay is a pure Byfield original. Notes of Pineapple hit the nose with hints of buttered popcorn in the background. On the palate it’s a completely different story – tart citrus on the front palate makes your first sip refreshing, while in the back palate “something sweet just hit me” … banana. Pleasant and wonderfully easy to drink. This is going to be a great summer patio sipper come the hot weather, which is just around the time this wine will be released. Expect to see it on the store’s shelf Spring 2006.