Brazilian Chardonnay from Bahia sounds like a setup for disappointment, but Chapada Diamantina sits at 1,000+ meters and the altitude does the work that latitude refuses to. This Microlote drinks unapologetically in a Chablis register: taut, saline, green apple and lemon pith up front, a chalky grip on the finish, zero tropical nonsense, zero flabby oak. The acidity is real, not cosmetic, and there’s enough mineral tension to make you double-check the label. Not a Chablis impersonator so much as proof that cool-climate Chardonnay can happen 13 degrees south of the equator if the elevation cooperates. Worth paying attention to if you think South American whites begin and end with Argentine Torrontés.
by SmartLow8757