Whites with something to say. Barrel fermentation, time on the lees and a full or partial malolactic conversion give these wines their weight and their flavours: hazelnut, toasted almond, brioche, baked apple, oatmeal and lemon curd, wrapped in a texture closer to cream than water. Chardonnay from the Côte de Beaune and the Mâconnais, and from Margaret River, Sonoma and the Adelaide Hills, white Bordeaux from Pessac-Léognan, Marsanne and Roussanne from the Rhône, barrel-aged white Rioja, Godello from Valdeorras and old-vine Chenin from the Swartland.
If oaked whites put you off years ago, the style has moved on a long way. Oak is a seasoning here rather than the main event. Serve at 11°C to 13°C, never straight from the fridge, in a large glass, with roast chicken, scallops, crab, mushroom risotto, pork belly or a properly aged hard cheese.