Colección 125 Chardonnay, Chivite 2023 75cl
Chivite have been making wine in Navarra since 1647, which puts most of Spain's celebrated names in the shade. Their Colección 125 range marks the 125th anniversary of the modern bodega, and this barrel-fermented Chardonnay is arguably its most ambitious white.
Navarra sits just north of Rioja, cooler and greener, and Chivite have long argued it can make white wine to rival Burgundy. The 2023 is 100% Chardonnay, fermented and then aged for about a year in 225-litre French oak barrels with the lees kept in suspension. That extended lees contact is what gives the wine its weight and its creamy, layered texture.
The nose is intense and complex: floral notes of acacia and verbena, bright citrus, and smoky, toasty tones from the barrel. On the palate it's creamy and opulent, with quince, butter and a distinct nuttiness, and it finishes long and bready with a saline mineral thread cutting through the richness. This is Chardonnay built for people who love the grand, oaked style.
At around £44 it competes with village-level white Burgundy and holds its own. It will drink beautifully now with an hour in the glass, and has the structure to develop for a few years yet if you'd rather wait.
How to Serve
Serve at 10-13°C in a large-bowled glass. A short spell in a decanter, or simply half an hour open, helps the aromatics unfurl.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot for its serious-white credentials. Brat in Shoreditch alongside something from the wood grill. Bibendum for a proper sit-down lunch.
Food Pairings
Try it with roast turbot in a beurre blanc, or a plate of grilled chicken with wild mushrooms. Aged Comté would be a fine, simple partner too.
