Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the “citizen of the world” among white wine grapes and one of the most widely cultivated grape varieties in the world. It is relatively undemanding and is suitable for a wide range of soils, although it produces the best wines on soils with a high limestone content, such as those found in Champagne, Chablis and the Côte D`Or.

Burgundy is the spiritual home of Chardonnay and the best white Burgundies are dry, rich, with wonderful balance and elegance. They are indisputably the best dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in Champagne production, where it is often an important blending partner alongside Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, giving structure and finesse to sparkling wines. In Blanc de Blancs it is even the sole grape variety.

In the New World, it is a major player. In California, Australia, Chile and South Africa it is very common, and in New Zealand it is even the second most cultivated grape variety. In warm climates, Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels in the final stages of ripening, which can be at the expense of acidity. Late harvest is a common problem and can result in alcohol-heavy and flabby wines that lack structure and finesse.

A big challenge in the past was the overuse of new oak, whether in the form of so-called barrique barrels or wood chips. Recently, however, there has been a move toward more elegant, better balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and that is a good thing.