What started as a glorious exclamation ("My God, it's a Fat Bastard!") from winemaker Thierry Boudinaud during a tasting in Southern France has become an internationally known and highly successful wine brand. Since that fateful day in the cellar, Fat Bastard has been irreverently producing "remarkably full bodied" Chardonnay.

The Fat Bastard concept must surely be one of the most successful 'start up' wine brands in recent times. It is virtually unheard of in this industry to have a modestly priced Chardonnay struggle to keep up with the demand and continually fall out of stock. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but it really is a clever concept, particularly given just how many enquiries and requests we get for 'bigger' or 'broader' or 'fatter' Chardonnays and how, in the main, the Australian style is trending the other way! 

The fruit for the 2021 again hails from Monterey on the central coast of California adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. As the unforgettable branding would suggest, the resultant wine is ripe and full flavoured with ample and generous buttery and citrus characters. Whilst abundant is certainly not over the top, the best part is just how balanced it is. All in all, it is really good value irrespective of the clever concept and apart from the catchy name, it is no doubt selling well due to its sheer quality and value. If you are in the market for a bigger style, value for money Chard, then get around this bastard. Drink: Now – 2026; BW; WineStar© May 2023