Domaine Berthier L’Intruse Chardonnay 2018 Loire, France 75cl

The Berthier family have farmed vines near the Coteaux du Giennois and Sancerre for five generations, and now work organically under Florian and Clément Berthier. Theirs is classic upper Loire country, on the eastern edge of the region, better known for tangy Sauvignon Blanc than for Chardonnay.

L’Intruse, the intruder, is their playful nod to planting Chardonnay where Sauvignon usually rules, a grape that sits outside the local rulebook. Grown on Loire soils and made in a fresh, unoaked style, it keeps the region’s hallmark crispness while showing Chardonnay’s softer, orchard-fruit side.

The 2018 season in the Loire was warm and generous, giving ripe fruit with good depth. Here that ripeness is held in check by the cool-climate acidity that runs through the wine, keeping it lively.

Pale lemon in the glass, it offers blossom, honeysuckle and nectarine on the nose, then a dry, high-acid palate that finishes clean and refreshing. Serve it well chilled as an aperitif, or alongside grilled fish, goat’s cheese or a green salad. It is an easy wine to reach for, and flexible at the table.

If you like unoaked Chardonnay or the freshness of a good Loire white, this bridges the two. A characterful, easy-drinking white with a story to tell, and a fun talking point for anyone who enjoys a wine that breaks the usual mould. Serve it slightly less cold than you might a Sauvignon, and its gentle stone-fruit character has room to show. It is a wine to pour when you want to surprise someone.