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Chardonnay holds a special place in the hearts of wine lovers due to its versatility and wide range of expressions, depending on where it's grown and how it's made. Originating in the Burgundy region of France, this grape has found homes in almost every wine-producing region around the world.
In its birthplace, Chardonnay produces some of the world's most revered white wines. In regions like Chablis, the wines are often mineral-driven, with high acidity and lean profiles. Move south to the Côte d'Or, and the wines gain richness, complexity, and often a touch of oak.
The New World offers its own expressions. Places like California, especially regions like Napa and Sonoma, produce Chardonnays known for their full-bodied nature, often accompanied by flavors of ripe tropical fruits, vanilla, and butter. Meanwhile, regions like Australia's Margaret River or New Zealand's Marlborough produce wines that strike a balance between Old World minerality and New World fruitiness.
This grape's adaptability and the myriad of styles it can produce is what makes Chardonnay a perennial favorite. Whether you prefer unoaked, mineral-driven whites or richer, oaked versions, Chardonnay offers something for every palate, reflecting the diversity and richness of the world's wine regions.
Chardonnay is the most planted white wine grape worldwide and is cultivated in nearly every wine-producing country. Chardonnay is a noble varietal, but it’s also sturdy. It thrives in cold and warm climates, from the frosty vineyards in Champagne to sunny California. The question is. Why is Chardonnay so popular? And what does it taste like? Is Chardonnay dry or sweet? Let’s talk about the illustrious grape and the wines made with it. Few wine grapes are as versatile as Chardonnay, so the wines made with it are always a pleasing surprise. Here’s what you want to know about Chardonnay.
Chardonnay is a white wine grape native to Burgundy. It is the offspring of the equally famous Pinot Noir and the rare Gouais Blanc and has been cultivated since the Middle Ages. Chardonnay produces medium- to full-bodied white wines, which can be fermented and aged in stainless steel or spent time in oak barrels. Most wines made with Chardonnay are fermented to dryness, meaning winemakers allow the yeast to turn all the sugar in the grape juice into alcohol. Chardonnay produces dry wines. Of course, in wine, there’s an exception to every rule. Producers in the New World sometimes allow Chardonnay grapes to hang in the vine for weeks after they ripen. These late harvested grapes can become sweet wine. The category, though, is rare.
Chardonnay produces some of the most concentrated white wines in the world, and concentration is a synonym for age-worthiness. That’s why fine White Burgundy, one of the nicest Chardonnays, can be aged for years, if not decades. The same goes for high-end Chardonnay produced elsewhere. Enjoy youthful Chardonnay within its first three years after the vintage. Oak-aged examples can still be enjoyable after the five-year mark. After that, only the most concentrated wines made with extraordinary grapes from prestigious sites will still be at their prime. However, wine doesn’t go bad in a day, but it will lose properties as it decays.
Chardonnay expresses its terroir nicely, so wines made with the grape will taste different depending on the climatic conditions where the grapes grew. Chardonnay from cold climates might offer scents of green apples and pears along with citrus notes and minerality. Chardonnay from cold temperatures will taste like golden apples and white flowers. Warmer climates will make Chardonnay smell and taste like tropical fruit, including mango and pineapple. Since Chardonnay often undergoes Malo-lactic fermentation, you can also expect buttery scents along with yeast aromas reminiscent of pastries. And if the wine is aged in oak casks, it will also have brown spices and vanilla on the nose and palate.
Chardonnay might be versatile, but its producers can only use it to make a few wine styles. Un-oaked Chardonnay and oak-aged Chardonnay are the most common, and they’re always white and dry. Producers can also make sparkling wine with Chardonnay, which can be blended with red grapes to produce sparkling rosé. If you want to see what the noble Burgundian grape can do, explore our selection of the best Chardonnay in Australia. Only at World Wine. What is your favourite wine made with Chardonnay?
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