Kelleri Cantina Terlan Terlan Chardonnay Kreuth 2018 750ml

The 2018 Alto Adige Terlano Chardonnay Kreuth opens to a pretty medley of Meyer lemon and sweet almonds, with some distant cinnamon or vanilla spice at the back. There are tangy layers of rosemary or lavender essence and even a touch of savory laurel leaf. This cool-climate Chardonnay is rich, creamy and beautifully textured with soft and lasting intensity. This is a terrific medium-bodied choice for baked codfish or spicy chili crab. The wine’s texture is enhanced by sur lie aging in both wooden barrel and stainless steel. Production is an ample 65,000 bottles.

Hints of lime blossom and star anise are a fragrant entry for this vibrant, medium-bodied white, accenting the palate’s ripe and creamy nectarine and star fruit flavors. Finely-knit, shows a backbone of zesty acidity and a tang of salinity creating a mouthwatering impression on the racy finish. Drink now through 2028. 5,416 cases made, 450 cases imported. (Alison Napjus)

Here I find a sweet and alluring display of ripe peach and subtle spice offset by airy spring flowers and a hint of citrus-tinged white smoke. On the palate, the 2018 Chardonnay Kreuth makes itself known with creamy, almost-oily textures, carried across the senses over a core of salty minerals with a brisk acid twang. The finish is long and slightly smoky, resonating on inner florals and hints of spiced apple. This is showing very well already, yet a few years in a cold cellar may bring some more depth to the picture. (Eric Guido)