Kim Crawford

- Silverstone's previous recommendations

Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay 2003

Best of the White Bunch

Utopia was so overrated-don't you think? When I was a boy Utopia was the place you escaped to in your Lear jet when you grew up to be Donald Trump! My head was filled with images of gently rolling hills, brilliantly blue skies peppered with puffs of clouds and families of sheep idly wandering across endless expanses of velvet smooth grassland. But I hadn't planned on Starbucks coming along and destroying the vistas so vividly occupying my daydreams. Mocha lattes weren't part of the mental lanscape, while daydreaming in Mrs. Brown's history lesson, as she explained how the discovery of potatoes in the New World had given hope to mankind.

I only recently realized that Utopia had moved. It found a realtor, packed up all it's belongings and scurried half way round the world where elves and hobbits live. Utopia merely changed it's name and is now called New Zealand. And if you don't believe me, open a bottle of Kim Crawford's Unoaked Chardonnay and you'll discover eternal happiness, way beyond your wildest dreams.

Kim Crawford owns a winery and vineyards in Marlborough, the most famous wine region in the northern part of New Zealand's South Island. Kim's intent was to produce wines "to have control over my destiny". I applaud the fact that this wine isn't aged in oak and overwhelmed with

wood flavors. It focuses on the natural qualities of the grape, with ripe tropical fruit softly dazzling the palate.

And clever Kim is determined to bring the wine to our table in the best of health, so he has replaced the (hopefully soon to be extinct) cork with a screw cap. Bravo!

I rarely drink Chardonnay these days as I'm regularly bored senseless by those I pour into my glass. When I do take the time to unscrew one that looks interesting, hope reigns supreme. And I can assure you, Utopia does indeed exist and it's rivers flow with the elixir produced by Kim

Crawford, a man who has clearly kept his appointment with destiny.

REGION Marlborough, New Zealand

TECHNICAL Due to the cooler sites selected for these grapes, they obtained full ripeness with high levels of natural acidity. harvested in the early morning, the grapes were processed without preservatives and, once settled, fermented by a pure yeast culture to dryness.

PRICE (approx) $15.99 (US) £9 (UK)

- Silverstone's previous recommendations