Christophe Patrice Chardonnay 2025

This is Chardonnay with a very Chablis way of looking at the world- bright, mineral and completely uninterested in showing off with oak. The fruit comes from around the Chablis region and is whole-bunch pressed before a cool, wild fermentation in stainless steel. Then comes the clever bit, lees from Christophe Patrice’s Chablis are added to give the wine a little extra weight and texture. Lemon zest, grapefruit and crunchy green apple lead the way, with a touch of melon and white flowers underneath. The palate is juicy on entry but quickly tightens up with crisp acidity and a lovely chalky mineral streak. There’s no malolactic fermentation, so the freshness stays dialled right up. A subtle saline character runs through the finish, keeping everything clean, precise and seriously refreshing. Basically, plenty of Chablis attitude without having Chablis written on the label.