The Prisoner Chardonnay 2022 75cl
The Prisoner made its name with a swaggering red blend, so a Chardonnay felt almost contrarian when it arrived. This 2022 keeps the label's habit of blending, leaning on a Chardonnay core lifted by small parcels of Viognier and Gewürztraminer for extra perfume.
The fruit comes from the cooler, fog-cooled Carneros end of Napa Valley, where the ripeness of California meets enough freshness to keep things upright. Ten months in French oak, roughly half of it new, does the heavy lifting on texture, and at 14.5% this is unashamedly a big Napa white rather than a shy one.
Expect vanilla bean, baked apple and toasted oak on the nose, with citrus peel cutting through. The palate is broad and creamy, all ripe stone fruit and apple tart, a tropical edge from the aromatic grapes, and warm baking spice. The finish stays smooth and long, with just enough acidity to stop the richness tipping over.
This is a cold-weather Chardonnay, the sort you pour when you want something generous and comforting rather than crisp. At around £40 it sits with serious oaked Chardonnay, and while it trades subtlety for impact, it delivers exactly the bold, polished style its fans come looking for.
How to Serve
Serve at 10-13°C, cooler than you think but not fridge-cold, so the aromatics and oak have room to show. Use a broad white-wine glass; a large bowl flatters this wine far more than a narrow one.
Where to Drink It
The Wolseley for a long lunch with roast chicken. Scott's in Mayfair alongside grilled lobster. Bibendum when you want the wine list to match the ambition.
Food Pairings
Made for roast chicken with buttery skin, or a plate of crab in a rich, creamy dressing. Lobster thermidor would be no bad idea either.
