Novellum Chardonnay 2020

94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck

The wine, the Novellum Chardonnay, is a collab from Domaine LaFage the famous Roussillon winery and iconoclast wine importer Eric Solomon. Parker called Solomon, “perhaps the best importer in the country” and said, “ [he] has a great talent for ferreting out spectacular wines from France and Spain.” 

There’s so much to love about the wine, not forgetting the price tag, which still baffles me when I try to think about it. It’s very easy to see why Dunnuck called it a, “no brainer purchase”. I just don’t know how such a great food-friendly and sophisticated Chardonnay with bright citrus notes mixed with pure minerality could be so affordable? 

My guess is this cuvee, which comes from multiple vineyard sources and therefore must be labeled as a ‘Vin de France’ is what forces the price point. It’s another example of creative winemakers making the best wine possible, rules and economics be damned. 

But given the outstanding juice that’s in the bottle, the two iconic names behind it, and the 94-point score, I’m not asking too many questions.