One bottle of Big Basin Vineyards “Coastview” Chardonnay 2016, one bottle of Benevolent Neglect GSM 2015. Two brilliant wines with some serious credentials, also from very different areas of California. These are bound to wow even the trickiest recipient!

Big Basin’s Coastview Chardonnay offers a super expressive, plush, delicious mouthfeel of orchard fruits, macadamia nuts and shortbread biscuit, with a whipcrack line of acidity. A wine that expresses its mountain site, and the coastal fogs and breezes as well.

The GSM is made by winemaker Matt Nagy, who was formally producing an almost silly number of 100 point wines with $400 price tags to match. Expect plenty of violet strawberry aromas, pot pourri, wet rocks, a plush palate framed by mouthwatering acid and well incorporated tannin.