Sign up for our Newsletter

Castello di Borghese Chardonelle. (Credit: Lenn Thompson)

While local wineries are making better sub-$25 wine that ever before, wines that retail for less than $15 are still mostly pretty underwhelming. Generally, they aren’t worth bothering with. And that’s a big reason why this week’s’ “Wine of the Week” Castello di Borghese NV Chardonette caught my attention.

Here is a non-vintage chardonnay (non-vintage means that the wine could and probably does have wine from more than one year in it) that was raised entirely in stainless steel and that smells of lemons and limes sprinkled with white flowers and citrusy herbs. Fresh and juicy on a medium-bodied palate, those straight-forward lemon-lime qualities stand out with hints of under-ripe peach and more flowers.

Not complicated or nuanced, it’s still the kind of wine that you can drink and enjoy without thinking much about it. It’ll let your food or your friends take center stage, playing a supporting role.

All of that for only $12. Yes. $12.

It’s not a world-beater, but man, for $12 you can do a lot worse from any region. And, it’s available in magnums too, which are always fun.

X
X