What is Chardonnay?
by Mike Supple
published: 14 Oct 2009 | Comments
Look at the drink list in just about every bar or restaurant in the world that serves wine and you will likely see at least one Chardonnay available by the glass. Why? And what is Chardonnay?
Simply put, Chardonnay grapes make a white wine that is fairly neutral in flavors and aromas. However, the region where the grapes are grown and the choices made during the winemaking process can have a profound impact on the end wine in terms of style and flavor.
Chardonnay is one of the most widely planted grapes for winemaking in the world - just about every region that makes wine grows Chardonnay, from France to California to New Zealand to South Africa and everywhere in between. While these different regions vary in the quality of the Chardonnay they produce, the global demand and recognition of this wine makes producing Chardonnay a fairly easy way for a wine maker to become commercially successful.
The origins of Chardonnay are likely based in northern France, in the region of Burgundy. Chardonnay from this region continues to be some of the highest quality (and most expensive) wine made anywhere in the world. Not all Chardonnay from Burgundy is high quality though, and a lot of it is more expensive than it should be simply because it comes from that region. Many New World winemaking regions (like Chile, Australia and New Zealand) are making high quality Chardonnay that is a much better value.
While Chardonnay can be made in many styles - dry or sweet, bubbly or still - the majority of it is made dry. Within this dry category of Chardonnay, there are two main styles: oaked and un-oaked. These styles refer to the winemaking process and whether or not the Chardonnay was fermented/aged in oak barrels.
Oaked Chardonnay: Fermenting and aging Chardonnay in oak is popular in some parts of Burgundy and was extremely popular in California in the 1980s and 1990s. Using oak tends to make the wine feel fuller in the mouth. It also adds flavors of oak, cream, butter and vanilla to the wine.
Un-oaked Chardonnay: These wines focus more on the crisp, pure fruit flavors in Chardonnay. This style is growing in popularity as a backlash against the other often too-heavy and too-oaky Chardonnays - in 1995 the phrase "Anything But Chardonnay" (or ABC) became popular among wine drinkers who were tired of getting a glass that tasted almost exactly like a stick of butter melted over a grilled two-by-four. Similar to Sauvignon Blanc, the un-oaked style is lighter and has higher acid, making it crisp and easier to pair with food. You will find many of these from Chile, Australia, South Africa and (parts of) California.
The fruit flavors found in Chardonnay can vary greatly, depending on how ripe the grapes are when they are picked. The less ripe, the lighter bodied and more "green" the fruit. The riper the grapes, the heavier, richer and more tropical the fruit flavors. Wine makers will generally choose a style they like (or one that is better suited to the region where the grapes grow). Wines all along the flavor scale can be of very high quality. In general, the flavors for Chardonnay go like this (ranging from less ripe to very ripe): green apple, lemon, lime, yellow apple, peach, yellow pear, pineapple, mango, banana. You may find any or all of these flavors in a Chardonnay. And if the wine was aged in oak (or went through another process called malolactic fermentation), you may also find flavors of smoke, vanilla, butter and cream.
If you're not familiar with Chardonnay, go out there and try several - see for yourself if you are more of a butter and oak or un-oaked and naked fan. And if you are among the ABC crowd, maybe it's time you give Chardonnay a second chance. With so many different styles out there, it's a shame to write off an entire grape based on past bad experiences.
Value Regions: Chile, Australia, New Zealand
Quality Regions: Burgundy (France), Central Coast (California), Sonoma Coast (California)
