Chateau Ste Michelle, Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA 2022

Chateau Ste Michelle put Washington State on the winemaking map, bringing European techniques to the Pacific Northwest region. So New World Chardonnay lovers will enjoy the ripe apple and citrus flavours and the toasty, buttery, spicy oak influence – but it's not over the top, due to only partial malolactic fermentation, fermentation in a mix of stainless steel and oak, and subtle oak ageing (five months in mainly neutral oak). The mix-six price of £12 is a big discount off the single bottle price.