Langhe Chardonnay

2023

4.2

Region

Italy › Piedmont › Langhe DOC

Type

white · still

Grapes

Chardonnay

Alcohol

13%

Volume

750 mL

Available at

WineWine

Tasting Notes(4)

Boris19 May 2026· Lo Kyiv·Mix Italiano

4.2

Same lovely Chardonnay. Smoke and lemon hit first, then plums wander in unexpectedly. Vanilla and butter know their place, no single element shouting over the others. Palate maintains that same balance - fresh and structured, buttery richness held in check by proper minerality. Burgundy-leaning but never derivative. Still great stuff.

About

Fletcher's Langhe DOC Chardonnay sits alongside his Nebbiolo lineup as the white in the range. Fruit is whole-bunch pressed with no sulphur and handled oxidatively into barrel, then fermented spontaneously and aged around nine months on lees in a mixed-age barrel program (roughly 30% new French oak per year, the rest older wood). The intent is texture from lees and skin work rather than oak signature, with no filtration or fining at bottling.

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This is how you do Chardonnay without being boring about it. Smoke and lemon hit first, then plums wander in - unexpected but somehow exactly right. Vanilla and butter know their place, no single element shouting over the others. The palate maintains that same democracy (or rather balance) - fresh and structured with buttery richness balanced by proper minerality. Truly great stuff.

After its journey, this wine clearly benefited from some time to settle, becoming much more open and approachable over the past three months. I'm eager to observe its development in the coming years, so hopefully, my willpower holds strong. The nose is delightful, offering a harmonious blend of smoke, lemon, plums, vanilla, and butter, all beautifully balanced without any element overpowering the others. On the palate, it maintains this balance with a well-structured, fresh profile that is slightly buttery yet also mineral. It's truly great stuff.

This is an excellent Chardonnay that stylistically leans towards Burgundy, achieving a balance between old-school and modern elements. There's oak, but it's subtle. The fruit is present but subdued. Smoke and minerality are also there, but again, everything is calm and harmonious. You'll find notes of lemon, smoke, plums, and a touch of vanilla and butter. The wine evolves beautifully in the glass, showcasing a cool balance. It's relatively lean but has a confident structure---rounded, fresh, and simply delicious.