£12.99, Waitrose
I love a good Chardonnay – anything from taut, streamlined, mineral Chablis to fuller, richer, barrel-aged styles. But it has to be good. I draw the line at cheap, mass-produced Chardonnays that taste of tropical fruit, lemon-sherbet sweets and oak chips. I’m glad to have got that of my chest. Now to this week’s wine: a Chardonnay that edges discreetly towards the fuller style, but balances its rich lemony fruit, toasted wheat and cashew-nut flavours with a lingering vibrancy and purity. It comes from the Margaret River region south of Perth in Western Australia and from the first estate to be established there, Vasse Felix back in 1967. Happy 50th birthday. Drink it any time over the next three years with chicken, pork, fish cakes or fish pie, or dishes with cheese.
Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2016, Margaret River, Western Australia
£12.99, Waitrose and waitrosecellar.com. Many Majestic stores still have the 2015, which is also very good., but it's no longer available online at Majestic.