La Colline Aux Fossiles Chardonnay

It's another stellar vintage of one of the greatest Chardonnay values on the planet. A joint venture between winemaker Jean-Marc Lafage and importer Eric Solomon, it is a very sophisticated wine for the money. The name Colline aux Fossiles may seem fanciful, but there are actually old, weathered fossils mixed in this site’s gravelly soils.

Produced from 30+ year-old vines, all of the fruit is hand harvested at optimal ripeness, and the wine is fermented and aged for 3 months in stainless steel (70%) and French oak (30%), with batonnage 3 times per week. Medium-bodied, fresh, and finely textured, it offers up gorgeous notes of caramelized citrus, white peach, honeysuckle, spice, and mineral. 

I'd happily put this up against a lot of $30 to $40 Chardonnays from all parts of the globe, and it would hold its own.