INSIDER'S PICK: 2016 LOVINGSTON WINERY CHARDONNAY 'JANET'S BLOCK' $19.99

Years ago when we first met the family and winemaker behind Lovingston (one of the few wineries where those two entities are still closely linked), the vision going foreward was as much about what they planned to do as it was what they did NOT want. Despite public pressure for certain styles and varieties of wines, they have always followed their own compass for what their vineyards will produce the best. How else would they have been able to make such an early move to planting Pinotage, now one of their flagship wines and one of the  few standout producers of the variety in the country? After avoiding Chardonnay for nearly a decade, a half acre block was planted and the vines are now mature enough to create this stand-alone varietal wine, but as always the folks at Lovingston have put their own twist on it. Instead of oak barrels, Acacia wood barrels are used for aging, which provides a distinct aromatic while avoiding the typical toasty caramel notes from charred oak. This is a practice many white wine producers across the world have been doing when making wines that need some extra richness from time in barrel but still want more of the grape's natural perfume to show through.

Intensely golden color in the glass, the aromas are all creamy lemon curd and melon zest, with a slight woody note that calms down quickly as the wine opens up. In the mouth the texture and flavors are surprisingly rich and creamy without any butttery or charred flavors, almost a reduction sauce of lemon curd and grape must, but with plenty of citrus zest and acidity on the palate remaining to provide a long dried fruit finish. Fans of the more typical oak aged Chardonnay may feel like they are missing those flavors here, but if oak and butter are all you taste, the nature of the vineyard is lost. Acacia barrels provide a boost without obscuring what can make the wine distinct. And from Lovingston, distinct is what we want and expect.

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