Stoneleigh Marlborough Chardonnay 2013 – $

Continuing the theme of cheap ’13 Chardonnays, but this time from Marlborough: L & I have been rocking a few bottles of the middle-tier Stoneleigh Latitude Chard 2013 this past week, which have been great drinking and showing interestingly dense ripe fruit, mealy and buttery characters, so I thought best see how the bottom wine compares…

Firstly I see a nice yellow colour in the glass. 13.5% alcohol, where The Latitude is 14%. Ripe fruit, peaches and light oak on the nose. Very ripe and luscious in the mouth, lipsmacking. A hint of creaminess. Not the complexity of the Latitude Chard, but freshness is the key here, with generous fruit weight on palate – not forced or thin. A very tasty quaffer. 3+. It could handle a few years sabbatical as well.

Some of these 2013s are starting to shape up well..