SLC, or Select Lot Selection, is Mission Hill’s ultra-premium wine tier. You should expect a lot when you buy an SLC wine and with this Chardonnay, you get a lot. This is an elegant and suave wine with everything in great balance. The oak is very subtle, supporting and showcasing vibrant tropical and tangerine aromas and flavours. All the lively and rich varietal fruit remains front and centre, likely because only 40% of the wine was fermented in oak. The wine remained on the lees for eight months, just enough to fatten the texture. The finish is long and satisfying.

It is not surprising to learn from the winery’s web site that this is a medal-winning wine: best of class at the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, gold at the Tasters Guild and four silvers including one at Chardonnay du Monde. This is an outstanding wine. 91