Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a white grape variety that typically produces dry white wines. It is a very widespread and well-known grape that can be found in almost all the winemaking regions around the world, thanks to its popularity and its ability to thrive in cool, moderate, and warm climates.
This grape is usually called “the winemaker’s grape” because it can produce so many versatile styles using many different winemaking techniques. That is possible because the grape is not very aromatic, having subtle aromas and flavors, so it can be a “white canvas” for the winemaker to craft its style. The wine can range from a crisp lean wine to a fruity wine to a creamy and buttery wine. It can also be produced as an oaked long lived premium wine, that can age for decades in the bottle, or simply as an unoaked high volume inexpensive wine. The style also varies according to the climate the grape is grown in. In cool climates the wines can display flavours of green and citrus fruits, in moderate climates it is more peach and melon, in warm and hot climates it’s tropical fruits like pineapple and banana.
Burgundy
Burgundy in France is the birthplace of this grape, where it is still being grown successfully, as the main white grape variety, accounting for approximately half of the total vineyard area there. Burgundy is universally considered the most prestigious and successful region in producing premium outstanding Chardonnay, specifically coming from the Côte d’Or vineyards.
These wines are famous for being barrel fermented and aged, usually from 6 to 9 months. They are typically full bodied with high acidity, having aromas of stone fruit, like peach and apricot, and vanilla from oak. These wines are also known to age gracefully in the bottle, developing tertiary aromas like hazelnut and mushroom.
And just north of Côte d’Or is another famous region where Chardonnay is the star. This area is Chablis. Chablis wines are produced from 100% Chardonnay grapes and are renowned for being a classic cold climate Chardonnay wine of unoaked light bodied wines with high acidity and aromas of green and citrus fruits, wet stones, and distinctive minerality.
Champagne
Also in France, north of Chablis, Chardonnay is considered essential in the Champagne region, being a building block of the iconic sparkling wine, along with Pinot Noir and Meunier. Chardonnay is considered vital to the Champagne blend and when used on its own it can produce Champagnes known as “Blanc de Blancs” that can be outstanding with a capacity to age.
California
Another region with a strong reputation for producing Chardonnay is California. The wines there vary in style but traditionally the most well-known expressions are full bodied, oaked wines that are high in alcohol, have medium acidity and aromas of stone fruit and tropical fruits, as well as secondary aromas of vanilla and butter from ageing in oak barrels.
Inexpensive high-volume Chardonnay from California comes primarily from Central Valley and can be fruity with low to medium acidity and sometimes toasty notes.
In other parts of the world, premium Chardonnay wines are generally being produced in Russian River Valley and Los Carneros in California, Adelaide Hills, Geelong and Mornington Peninsula in Australia, Gisborne and Marlborough in New Zealand, and Casablanca Valley in Chile.