W... Dreams..., Jermann 2022 75cl

The name is a joke that stuck. Silvio Jermann called it "Where the Dreams have no end..." after a Springsteen line, and everyone shortened it to W... Dreams. What sits behind the whimsy is one of Italy's most respected barrel-fermented Chardonnays.

Jermann farm in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the cool north-eastern corner where the Alps and the Adriatic meet, and the estate has long treated Chardonnay as something worth taking as seriously as any grand white. The 2022 was fermented and aged in French oak, with time on its lees, which builds the texture that defines this wine without tipping it into the buttery caricature that oaked Chardonnay can become.

On the nose there is ripe yellow peach, pineapple and a wisp of vanilla and toasted hazelnut from the barrel. The palate is where it comes alive: creamy and layered, with a mid-weight body, gentle spice and a citrus-driven line of acidity holding everything in place. It finishes long, with a mineral tension that stops the richness from becoming heavy.

At around £67 this is a considered bottle rather than a casual pour, and the craft justifies the price. It is drinking well now but has the structure to gain complexity over three to five years. Open it when you want a white with the presence of a red.

How to Serve

Serve at 10–12°C, not fridge-cold, in a large white wine glass so the oak and fruit can breathe. A short decant helps a young bottle.

Where to Drink It

Noble Rot Lamb's Conduit Street treats wines like this properly. Bocca di Lupo is a natural home. Sabor near Regent Street would pour it with pleasure.

Food Pairings

Roast chicken with butter and herbs is the classic call. It is also excellent with a creamy seafood pasta.