Zonte’s Footsteps Apple Betty Chardonnay Adelaide Hills 2022

Adelaide Hills Chardonnay from a cracking vintage and a top producer, what is not to like. One assumes that there is a reason for the name. Best I could ascertain was that eons ago, there was a dessert – some sort of no-crust pie – which was called a brown betty, which seems to have been claimed by both England and America. Betty was the cook who created it. Eventually, it was changed to apple betty to rid it of any inappropriate connections and because apples were the main ingredient. This was rather fortunate as brown is rarely a term used positively with any wine, especially a fresh, young one. The wine is a pale lemon hue (not a hint of brown to be found anywhere). Notes of citrus and spices, a flick of mandarin, ginger and lemongrass, with a touch of oatmeal which emerges on the palate. Excellent focus here, good concentration and a lingering finish. Good energy throughout, love it. Enjoy over the next five to six years.