Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich — Chardonnay S 2023

Tasted as part of a three-way comparison of excellent Chardonnays from Germany and Greece, all around the 20 euro mark — alongside the Plagios White from Ktima Biblia Chora and the Chardonnay S from Weingut Dönnhoff — the Chardonnay S 2023 from Weingut Schäfer-Fröhlich on the Nahe is wonderfully refreshing, with great acidity. A dry, sortentypisch Chardonnay at 12.5% alcohol, it delivers purity and verve, earning 92 points. In this lineup it was slightly edged out by the Dönnhoff Chardonnay S (94 points), which showed more immediate palate presence and amazing length, and by the Biblia Chora Plagios (93 points), which brought a more complete package with exotic fruit aromas — but at around 20 euros, the Schäfer-Fröhlich remains a very compelling bottle in its own right.