This wraps a core of tasty pear, green apple and melon flavors with a judicious dose of salted butter, letting a flash of verbena add range and lift on the finish. Nicely done. Drink now through 2021. 3,500 cases made, 150 cases imported. - JM

A subtle flintiness graces the nose of this bright and lively wine, with supporting tones of lightly grilled apple, peach pit, lemon verbena and a touch of freshly dried hay. The barely medium-weight palate shows good fruit intensity, with ample apple and underripe peach tones, and a lingering sweet spice accent that adds depth and interest. There's great cut, thanks to the superbly focused natural acidity, and a clean, mineral freshness that lifts the finish.

It is clear from the nose of the 2018 Lesca Chardonnay that this expression stands out from the rest of the Chardonnays in the range. It is a focused and citrus-driven approach, with a lemon-lime characteristic that is fresh and zippy. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, crisp and almost underripe, with a moderate to long finish, showing a touch of nuttiness on the back end. The range of Chardonnays from the De Wetshof Estate clearly represents the terroir from which they spring and the many different styles of Chardonnay. This matured in French oak barrels for ten months.