($10, The Australian Premium Wine Collection): I usually avoid unoaked Chardonnay because with rare exception — Chablis comes to mind — a little oak aging enhances the wines.  But John Larchet, who has his own label, The Wishing Tree, in addition to importing Australian wine under The Australian Premium Wine Collection, suggested I try this one.  Often unoaked versions, a well-intentioned reaction to the overly oaky ones from California and Australia, come across lean and mean.  This one doesn’t.  Good texture, weight and balance come from ripe, but not overripe, fruit harmonized with uplifting acidity.  Larchet obtains grapes from diverse parts of Western Australia, the north and southern parts of the Margaret River, as well as the Mount Barker area, to capture the fruitiness characteristic of warm sites and acidity inherent in grapes grown in cooler climates.  The balance is remarkable, especially at the price. An outstanding value! 88 Michael Apstein Mar 6, 2007