This clear-headed, fresh flavored California Chardonnay is the surprise of the newsletter! Chris Brockway of Broc Cellars and Tim Elenteny of TE Imports formed Brea Wines to make fresh and food friendly workaday wines from California with a minimum of fuss. For this Chardonnay, they sourced grapes from two Monterey-area vineyards – two of California’s coldest – with old vines and exceptional exposition. With acidity in mind, they picked the grapes much earlier than most California Chardonnay comes off the vine, and put it in exclusively neutral oak barrels for seven months to give a hint of extra texture. The result is classic old-school California: aromas of peach and lemon curd, oregano and salty brioche; flavors of applesauce and lime and orange and crunchy crystals and vanilla bean, before a beautifully crisp finish. We were frankly stunned at the quality and value of this wine, and we think this will appeal to both fans and skeptics of classic California Chardonnay. Serve up with lemon-pepper chicken for best results.