INSIDER'S PICK: 2013 BENOIT BADOZ CHARDONNAY COTES DU JURA $19.99

A familiar grape with a little bit of an unusual twist (as we are prone to do here) which results in a wine that is perfect for the more adventurous drinkers out there. Often when we see 'Chardonnay' in France away from Burgundy, the fear is that it's a transplant brought in for commercial purposes to sell in mass marketed wines that don't represent the area as well as native varieties. Thankfully, in this case the Jura actually does have a long standing relationship with the grape, especially in their remarkably Champagne-like sparkling Cremants, coexisting side by side with native grapes like Savagnin and Poulsard. Instead of taking over, it actually represents a very nice introduction into the wine styles of the very cool climate region that can be a bit extreme to some palates. Racy and naturally low in alcohol because of the cool Alpine climate, the aromas are full of citrus zest and stone fruits with a strong mineral/seashell note. Many of the wines from Jura will purposely have a slightly oxidized nutty note similar to sherry, but instead of going that route this wine uses only native naturally occurring yeasts to create the subtle flowery and savory notes that lie just below the surface. It's something that is very tricky to pluck out and describe, but definitely makes it stand out as different from a Burgundy grown less than 100 miles away. In the mouth the fruit is steely and mostly lemon and white melon rind at first, but the juice is aged on its lees to help bring more weight to the palate which becomes more obvious with every sip. Fans of Chablis will find this very much in their wheelhouse and will make a similarly outstanding match with shellfish and fresh seafood dishes.