Salus Staglin Family Chardonna

This Chardonnay is labeled as a Massachusetts wine, which sets it apart from the California and Burgundy bottles that dominate the category. The producer hasn't published vintage, oak regime or alcohol level for this bottle, so what follows describes how Chardonnay usually behaves. Cool-climate New England fruit often runs leaner than warm-region examples. Expect orchard and citrus notes such as green apple, pear and lemon, with brisk, mouthwatering acidity and a medium body. If this bottle saw barrel time, look for a little vanilla, toasted bread or baking spice. If it was fermented in steel, the result is cleaner and more focused on fruit. Tannin is not a factor in a white wine, and the finish in this style is typically crisp and moderately long. Acidity is the main guide to the table. A wine with this kind of lift suits New England seafood: steamed or baked scallops, pan-seared haddock, fried clams and lobster with drawn butter all work, because the acidity cuts richness the way a squeeze of lemon would. It also handles roast chicken with herbs, creamy pasta, mild washed-rind and soft-ripened cheeses, and sweet corn or butternut squash dishes. If the wine turns out to be oaked and rounder, shift toward richer dishes like cream sauces and roasted pork. If it is lean and unoaked, keep the food light and bright. Serve it at about 48 to 52°F, roughly an hour in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in an ice bath. Straight from a cold fridge, the fruit and any oak character stay muted. At room temperature, the wine can taste flabby and the alcohol more prominent. Decanting isn't necessary for a wine of this kind. If it tastes tight when first poured, ten minutes in the glass should open it. A standard white-wine glass or a slightly wider Chardonnay glass will suit it, since the wider bowl gives any oak and butter notes room to show. Treat it as a drink-now bottle. Most regional Chardonnay is made for current drinking and gains little from extended cellaring, so enjoy it over the next year or two and keep it stored cool and out of light until then.