Bachelder Les Villages Bench Chardonnay VQA 2023

The Les Villages Chardonnay is sourced uniquely from single vineyards on the Twenty Mile Bench and Beamsville Bench. It’s labelled under the newer Niagara Escarpment VQA badge. This has a pretty nose of bright apples, lemon tart, ripe pear, flinty/stony minerality notes and a pinch of spice. It has a creamy texture with poached pear, yellow apples, bergamot, and a touch of savouriness on a bright, lifted finish. Drinking fine right now but can cellar two or three years. Score – 92. (Rick VanSickle, winesinniagara.com, April 5, 2025)