A Quick Guide to Chardonnay - Barrique Fine Wines

Whether you love it or hate it, Chardonnay is one of the greatest grapes in the world, producing some of the finest, most expensive white wines on the planet.

Known as ‘The Winemaker’s Grape’, Chardonnay is so diverse in the wines it creates. Chardonnay both reflects the place it is grown – climate, soil, rainfall etc – and the hand of the winemaker, whether the wine is in barrel, goes through malolactic fermentation, is left on the lees, allowed exposure to oxygen or protected from it.

This is why a Chardonnay grown in Chablis in Northern Burgundy will be distinctively different from Chardonnay grown just a few miles away in Southern Burgundy, let alone in California or South Australia.

About the wines

Chardonnay has generally moderate to high acidity, so is often quite a fresh wine, especially an unoaked style. It’s not an aromatic grape, so don’t expect it to be overtly floral. From a cooler climate, it could taste of lemon, freshly cut apple and have a stony, steely character to it. Alternatively, from a warmer climate, you might find riper stone or even tropical fruit character. If it’s spent time in new oak, perhaps you’ll find some toast, vanilla and spice, it might have a richness, or buttery character to it.

In short, Chardonnay can be both fresh and crisp, or rich and creamy dependent on the style it’s made in.

It’s also a key component in the finest sparkling wines of the world, including Champagne.

Notable regions

Its most famous region is Burgundy. Most of the white wine in Burgundy is made from Chardonnay. From Chablis in the North to villages like Puligny Montrachet and Meursault, through to the Maconnais and Chalonnais in the South, Chardonnay is made in a range of styles, generally getting riper the further south you move.

There are key wine making regions in many countries producing high quality Chardonnay, from New Zealand to South Africa, Australia, numerous states in the US, across South America. There’s also some great Chardonnay from Slovenia, Germany and here in the UK. It really is a grape which can grow in a multitude of environments.

Try with

If you’ve got an unoaked Chardonnay, go for seafood or vegetable risotto. For a richer Chardonnay, go for Roast Chicken, soft cheese, meatier fish, and starchy vegetables like pumpkin or squash.