2005 Alouette Wines Chardonnay Cuvee Inox Middle Ranch Vineyard

A good Chardonnay at a good price is hard to find. But Skylark Wine Co. rides to the rescue with its understated and delicious 2005 Alouette Wines Chardonnay. “Cuvee Inox” on the label means it has never seen oak, so what you taste is the pure unadulterated fruit from Middle Ranch Vineyard in Mendocino.

Skylark’s principals are John Lancaster and Robert Perkins, wine directors for Boulevard Restaurant in San Francisco. With its clean, crisp aromas, bright acidity and finespun finish, Alouette Chardonnay is made for food. After all, these two have spent years matching up dishes from Boulevard’s kitchen with wines on the list, so they know what works. Pair it with oysters, clams on the half shell and other shellfish. Bring on the Dungeness crab, the whole grilled fish and gently sauteed calamari. It will work with a roast chicken or a seafood soup equally well.

Or, forget the food, and enjoy it as a summer aperitif.

--S. Irene Virbila

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Quick swirl

Region: Mendocino.

Price: About $17.

Style: Crisp and refreshing.

Food it goes with: Raw or chilled shellfish, Dungeness crab, grilled fish, seafood soup.

Where you find it: Widely available at fine wine retailers and online at skylarkwine.com.