Hay Station Ranch Chardonnay 2011

Grape:   Chardonnay

Price:      £6

Store:     M&S

Country: California

ABV:       12.5%

As far as hazards in wine go, coming across a duff bottle is pretty much as bad as it gets.  Not what you would call disastrous or a significant risk to health, still, it is slightly annoying when you have just settled after a hard day's work to find the wine is corked, or it is in fact something you just simply don't like.  Fortunately, nearly all places you buy wine from will gladly give you a replacement for any defect with a wine, provided you don't persevere through three quarters of the bottle before making this decision.  Being stuck with a wine you simply don't like though is more dangerous because you will look at the label and make a mental note not to buy it again.  Even worse, you might decide not to buy that grape variety again.

Chardonnay is one of the world's most versatile grape varieties and responds positively to nearly every wine making process, from oak ageing and natural fermentation to dessert wines and carbonation.  It is suggested this is because the grape itself is fairly neutral in taste and so the changes in where it is grown and how it is made, can be detected in the tasting.  Chardonnay can be grown in both warm and cooler climates, in fact, every wine producing country has a yield of this grape in one form or other.  It is grown in the UK where it contributes to a growing reputation of world class sparkling wines and is of course a staple of the Champagne region in France as well as Chablis, Burgundy, Languedoc to name but a few of the larger regions.  The cool climate helps the grape to create clear, crisp wines with high acidity, citrus and sometimes mineral notes.  Warmer climates including Australia, New Zealand, Chile and America help to develop softer tastes more akin to tropical fruit and honey.  

This week's choice delivers a middleweight aroma of apricots with a zesty citrus outline.  The taste matches beautifully, delivering first the acidic citrus notes with peach and apricot supporting quietly from behind.  As the taste develops, tangy grapefruit and mild mineral help this medium bodied Chardonnay towards a short but palate-cleansing aftertaste which also sees a surprising return of some residual sweetness.

The previous popularity of Chardonnay has caused the reputation to suffer as mass production to meet demand inevitably lowered the quality of the taste and also people's opinion of the wine.  Despite this, the wine is still one of the most widespread and for good reason too.  The variations in terrior and production mean you could drink a glass of Chardonnay everyday for ten years and still not have the same one twice.  Don't let a poor representation of a wine put you off a grape variety as I guarantee you will miss out.

M&S have numerous stores throughout the UK as well as 300 stores worldwide.  They can also be found at www.marksandspencer.com.