You’re not sure you like Chardonnay, right? We’ve heard it all before, “It’s too oaky, it’s too sharp, it burns my eyes when you spray me with that Chardonnay super soaker!” Babies. Poor Chardonnay it’s had an undeservedly rough ride, we blame Bridget Jones. She tainted Aussie Chardonnay’s with her whimsically uncool escapades. It also didn’t help, that those Australian wines so widely available and favoured by dear Bridget were questionable at best. Over-ripe, over-extracted and far too oaky; so, all in all, we totally understand why you may have had reservations, we all did. Thankfully, those days are well and truly behind us, Chardonnay is one of the most versatile and high performing white grapes out there. Do you like Chablis? That’s all Chardonnay folks! At times it can be voluptuous and buttery, at times citric and minerally. Chardonnay is the secret genius behind White Burgundy, a key partner in Champagne and has made its name all over the old and new world alike. It does well when matured in oak or bottled o-natural and its happy fermenting solo or blending with other grapes like Viognier, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc.
It’s official gang. Chardonnay’s cool again!
What is Chardonnay?
Chardonnay is a versatile white grape, grown all over the world but its home is undoubtedly in Burgundy.
Is Chardonnay Called Anything Else?
Due to the worldwide recognition of the name Chardonnay, mainly because of new world varietal labelling in the 80s most synonyms have fallen out of use but some wines maybe labelled as Aubaine, Beaunois, Gamay blanc and Melon blanc but these are rare and unlikely to be found exported to the UK.
Where is Chardonnay From?
Where do we begin? Anywhere it is possible to grow grapes some sod has planted Chardonnay vines, we can guarantee. This is because it performs well in almost any climate; steely and citric in cool climates, intense and tropical in the warm. However, it is best known for being the white variety of Burgundy (that is if you don’t include Aligoté… which no one does because Aligoté is the Ringo Star of Burgundy). In Burgundy, arguably, the finest white wines in the world are made, in villages like Meursault and Montrachet wines tend to be aged in oak to deliver an intense and rounded flavour profile of stone fruit and buttery brioche. Whereas in Chablis, Chardonnay tends to be unoaked, crisp, fresh and razor sharp. Despite its French heritage, Chardonnay’s fame was refreshed in the new world; particularly in California and Australia where rich fruit forward wines and varietal labelling raised Chardonnay’s reputation above any other wine. It is also possibly the most important grape for sparkling wine production, it is the key white grape in Champagne blends and this is adopted all over the world.
What Does Chardonnay Taste Like?
As we’ve established it sort of depends on where its grown and how it’s made. In places like Chablis, Carneros, Tasmania and Germany, Chardonnay will have striking acidity with plenty of tree fruit characters such as green apple, and citrus notes. In slightly warmer climates, like southern Burgundy and parts of South Africa, you can expect more stone fruit characters particularly white peach and apricot. In warm-hot climates like much of Australia there will be a decided tropical character; pineapple and melon in particular. Unlike more aromatic grapes, Chardonnay does well with new oak and if used the wine will have a marked vanilla, toasty, nutty aroma to the wine, which can either be subtle or distinct depending on the winemaker’s style.
What Food Goes with Chardonnay?
With wines like Chablis think Oysters, Scallops and other shellfish. If the wines are richer like a new world Chardonnay or an oaked Burgundy, it pairs beautifully with herby roast chicken even some pork dishes.
What Other Wines are Similar to Chardonnay?
We’d Recommend a dry Chenin from either the Loire or South Africa; these wines have a refreshing acidity have a similar weight and fruit flavour profile although Chenin can develop an interesting waxy note you won’t find in Chardonnay.
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