£13.99–£14.99, Dylans Wines, L'Art du Vin, The Square Wine Company
There are times when only Chardonnay will do as far as I’m concerned. Sauvignon Blanc is there when you need a brilliant espresso-like boost, but good Chardonnay is there for you all the time – when you’re tucking into lemon- and herb-roasted chicken, seared scallops or roasted veg, or when you’re just chilling out with a glass of wine. This one, from English-owned vineyards pretty well within spitting distance of the Atlantic Ocean in the Western Cape, is Chardonnay in its best modern guise: crisp and polished with zingy lemon fruit, a whisper of pineapple and honey and the delicate toast and cashew flavour of classy French-oak barrels.
Seven Springs Vineyards Chardonnay 2012, Overberg, South Africa
£13.99, Dylans Wines, dylanswines.co.uk; £14.15, L’Art du Vin, aduv.co.uk; £14.99, The Square Wine Company, squarewine.co.uk