the Atom Chardonnay

This California Chardonnay from The Atom comes in at 13.5% ABV, a moderate strength for the style. Nothing in the producer's details specifies sub-region, vintage or oak treatment, so what follows is the profile you can reasonably expect from California Chardonnay rather than a measured description of this bottle. The state's dominant style is full-bodied and ripe, with tropical and stone-fruit character such as pineapple, ripe pear and yellow apple. Where oak is used, it adds vanilla, baking spice and sometimes toasted hazelnut or a buttery texture. Acidity is usually medium, enough to keep the weight in check without the sharpness of a cool-climate Burgundy-style bottle. If this bottle follows that pattern, expect a rounder, more textured mouthfeel than an unoaked white. There is no tannin to speak of, as with any white wine, so the structure comes from body and acid balance. The finish in this style tends to run medium to long, with the spice and creamy notes lingering after the fruit fades. Winemaking choices such as malolactic fermentation and time on lees can push it further toward richness, so check the back label if you want to know which direction this one leans. Serve it chilled but not cold, ideally at 10 to 12°C (50 to 54°F). Straight from a fridge at 4°C it will taste muted and tight, and the oak and fruit only open up as it warms a few degrees in the glass. Decanting is not necessary, though pouring it into a wide-bowled white wine glass or a light Chardonnay glass gives the aromas room to develop. A standard white wine glass works if that is what you have. At the table, richer Chardonnay styles suit foods with some fat and sweetness of their own. Seared scallops, lobster or halibut with butter, roast chicken, pork chops with apples, and creamy pasta all work well. Eggs Benedict and roasted butternut squash are good matches for the texture. If the wine turns out to be on the leaner, less oaked side, shift toward crab cakes, prawns, mango salads or a mild curry, where the acidity does more of the work.