Erikson & Caradin, Hazel & Axe Chardonnay, 2021

Let's have a quick word about what serious Chardonnay costs these days, shall we? ​ A decent white Burgundy from Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet — the spiritual home of everything great about this grape — will set you back anywhere from £40 to well over £100 a bottle. And that's before you've found anything with a decent producer's name on the label. ​ Chablis Premier Cru? You're looking at £30 minimum for the good stuff. Nip across to California's Russian River Valley or Sonoma Coast and the benchmark bottles from the likes of Kistler or Ramey start around £50 and climb steeply from there. ​ Even a solid Margaret River Chardonnay from Western Australia — a region that's been quietly embarrassing Burgundy for years — will reliably clock in above £25. ​ These are all extraordinary regions. Storied, brilliant, and absolutely worth every penny if you've got those pennies to spare. ​ Here's the thing, though. ​ ERIKSON & CARADIN HAZEL & AXE CHARDONNAY 2021 is playing in exactly that league. The barrel-fermented craft, the lees ageing, the mineral-edged poise — it's all there. And we've got it for a price that would make a Meursault producer genuinely uncomfortable. ​ This is the kind of Chardonnay that wins blind tastings and makes people go very quiet and then very loud. ​ From us? An absolute steal. You saw the price, right? Whatever are you waiting for!