Hope Family Austin Chardonnay NV

Written By Campbell Mattinson
Bottle of Hope Family Austin Chardonnay.

Hope Family Wines Austin Chardonnay NV
13.5% alcohol, cork, Paso Robles/California.

This is unusual for two reasons: it’s a NV release, so presumably it’s a blend of multiple vintages, And the alcohol sits at 13.5%, which is low for these parts. Low in a good way, it should be noted. This sells for US$20.

Hope Family wines are SIP certified.

There’s character here. It tastes of brine, smoke, tropical fruit, preserved citrus and florals. The blend here also includes a dash of viognier, I believe, and it works nicely, both in adding a bit of slipperiness to the texture and also in those elevated floral notes. This wine is fresh, crisp and textural. It’s good. It’s value plus. 92 points.

Campbell Mattinson

Campbell Mattinson has been an independent journalist, wine critic and photographer for forty years. He founded The Winefront, is a former chief editor of the Halliday Wine Companion (and former editor of Halliday magazine), and is the only Australian to have won the Australian Wine Communicator of the Year Award more than once. He is 100% independent, and tastes between 5,000 and 10,000 wines each year, blind and in comparative brackets as often as is practicable.

More about Campbell Mattinson

Mattinson is also the founder of the Mattinson Photography business.

https://www.campbellmattinson.com
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