This fabulous Chardonnay from the superb 2018 vintage is clean and bright with a long finish, displaying the mineral notes of lime and salt. Fermented in cool stainless steel, it is then partly aged in French and American Oak to add depth and complexity to the flavour, resulting in an intense yet elegant wine. As a food pairing, oysters, pan fried fish and green salad would be superb dishes to go with this excellent example of an English Chardonnay. The winemakers are Owen Elias and Victoria Ash, who are increasingly winning plaudits for their array of wines and their creative process, with this Chardonnay undergoing cool fermentation in stainless steel and a proportion of the wine was aged in French and American Oak barrels for 5 months. It has won wide acclaim from critics, with Jane MacQuitty of The Times says it is one of her Top 20 English wines. Balfour Hush Heath are part of the Wine Garden of England and have 100 acres under vine. Unlike many vineyards in Kent, the soil is Wealden clay over Tunbridge Wells sand.