Chardonnay is the king of white grapes. It’s responsible for too many of the world’s greatest wines to be considered anything less. And yet in many respects, Chardonnay is the everyman varietal: it has no absolute traits, certainly nothing like Sauvignon Blanc does, and it can produce the full gamut from lacy, mineral dry whites to rich sweet wines, and literally everything in between, not to forget most of the world’s best sparkling wines! Aside from style, you will find Chardonnay at both ends of the price spectrum too. Join Private Customer Account Manager Aiden Schwarzer for a deep dive into this much-loved grape.
Chardonnay is a non-aromatic variety that ripens early and crops well, producing large yields abundant in sweet juice, with typically lower levels of acidity compared to the likes of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Riesling. However, unlike those, Chardonnay doesn’t really have obvious character traits and so it’s a great vessel for the whim of a winemaker, as much as it is a transmitter of the surroundings (the terroir) in which it’s grown.
In terms of character, aroma and flavour, cooler-climate and less ‘ripe’ examples show citrus and green apple fruits, maybe some firmer (underripe) stone fruits, with more pronounced acidity and maybe some mineral qualities. Warmer climate wines, and wines produced from later picked fruit, can show richer, fruitier flavours and aromas that verge on the exotic, especially melon, peach and pineapple with probably a softer feel due to lower levels of acidity.
I would say more modestly pitched Chardonnay tends to have a ‘rounder’ feel, balanced in terms of acidity with a charming, easy, peachy sort of fruit character, and if there is any oak (which can be an expensive ‘ingredient’), it will be a subtle hint in the background. You’ll find more personality and idiosyncrasies as you climb the quality ladder.
Chardonnay typically sits around #5 in the world's most planted varieties – not just in terms of reach, how widely it’s planted, but also in number. It’s everywhere and that is, in part, down to its versatility and its past glories: once you’ve been smitten by a great White Burgundy, you’re going to want to try and pay homage to it, especially if vineyards and terroir have the capability.
So, why do we still hear ‘I don’t like Chardonnay’?
For many, this is a call back to the heady 1990s when suspiciously golden glasses of white wines seemed to adorn the tables of every sitcom and cases were stacked high in off-licenses on 3 for £10 deals. The New World wine machine was enormously brand-led, and they knew how to market their popular ripe Chardonnay, with softer, fruitier styles, brighter, more engaging labels and clear language – featuring the actual grape variety!
By comparison, the classical French likes of Chablis, much more savoury and serious, seemed rather staid with their non-descript messaging, old-fashioned labels and the need for a little knowledge of geography and history to understand what the wine was made from. It’s no wonder the New World wines sold in such great numbers, but you can have too much of a good thing.
Oak & Wine Making Choices
In chasing those numbers, the most commercially minded wineries pushed too hard for ripeness at the expense of balance: It was a case of more of everything – big oak, big ripe fruit, big texture but rarely the acidity or structure to keep things in check. And that was that. People turned off and weirdly oak was made the scapegoat.
Oak is divisive in wine, but it really does play well with Chardonnay. Over my twenty-odd years at Tanners I’ve seen many changes in varietal examples - first the rebellion against those 90s styles, a period when producers added new ‘unoaked’ or ‘unwooded’ Chardonnay labels to their ranges, to keep and capture those consumers who had grown tired of the toasty, creamy, vanilla-laden wines of plenty. Then we had the reintroduction of oak, which was uncannily surreptitious to my mind… wines I (thought I) knew had no wood gradually began to show tell-tale hints of cashew, hazelnut, and butter. There was no fanfare to celebrate the return of barrels, but two or three decades has taught producers to use it more intelligently, more carefully, to craft better and more transparent wines.
Burrowing Owl Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley 2019
A brilliant Canadian example that reflects the dramatic place in which it’s grown and made. Ripe, exotic aromas and flavours supported by quality oak, offering a little toast, vanilla, cream and nut, but never too sweet. Ample, full and powerful but pleasingly well-balanced, bright, and mineral too. Lots to love here.
Lyrebird Chardonnay, South Eastern Australia
This is a wine that has evolved over the past few years. We’ve had oakier editions, but the current release focuses on fruit: white peach, lemon and lime citrus, with a touch of flint. It feels modern and quite grown-up, but very easy-going too. I could see this working well with a vegetarian summer risotto.
Abbé Rous Chardonnay, Côtes Catalanes 2022
This is such a good addition to our list. From the coastal Roussillon in south west France, this has all the lift and freshness you’d expect from being close to the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees, but it also sees plenty of sunshine! White fruits moving into juicier yellows, very floral too, with a nice touch of older oak for depth and roundness. It’s very fruity so I’d probably opt for a nice thick pork chop or a cheese board.
Chapel Down Kit’s Coty Chardonnay, North Downs 2022
One of the very best still Chardonnay wines made in the UK, this has an understated confidence about it. It’s not worried about being racy and sometimes taut, because it shows a lovely fine depth of fruit, apples, citrus, and stone fruit, and a touch of vanilla. Sophisticated stuff and one to enjoy with shellfish, or a classic piece of halibut with a lemon caper sauce.
Winemaking choices make for dimensional changes, not just in aroma, flavour, and colour, but texture too. While we don’t think of Chardonnay as a high acid variety, the coolest spots where the variety is grown naturally produce racier juice and one way to soften this, is to encourage Malolactic Fermentation (MLF). Essentially, it’s a process where more astringent malic acids (think sour green apples) are converted into softer lactic acids like those you would find in milk, and the result is something smoother rather than sharper.
In my opinion, moving away from oak and I suppose more accurately, oxygen, created a new monster: reduction. This is a subject for a whole other blog, but in eschewing new oak in favour of less permeable older oak, and inert stainless steel, we saw a rush of Chardonnays with great freshness, a leaner, more youthful feel and a distinctive aroma of flint or struck match. Odd, sure, but strangely compelling and it gave rise to a new style that soon took over. Certain Burgundian producers in Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet found great favour in this reductive style, which really boomed in the early to mid-1990s and New World producers took note. Some might have taken it a little too far, but you can find well-judged examples throughout the range of Kumeu River. Keep an eye out for the exciting 2024 releases which Tanners will report on soon.
One producer whose winemaking methods surprised me was Château-Fuissé in Pouilly-Fuissé. This enclave in Burgundy’s southern reaches has long been home to a generous style of Old World Chardonnay that doesn’t shy away from oak, and it absolutely works. Here they steam their barrels to reduce the impact of the toasting, in other words, when the wine ferments in the (new) oak, it takes on less overt flavour and aroma but still develops a pleasing textural quality. They then rack the wine to stainless steel tanks which bring in a little of that reductive quality, the flint, smoke or matchstick element whilst freshening and firming up the wine. This mixed process delivers great complexity and the wines cellar and develop extremely well.
There is less oak impact here compared to its bigger siblings, but the house style remains: enticingly ripe, with a nice density, attractive fruit with a honeyed quality, and super freshness and lift. Plump and rich in part, mineral and bright frame, and absolutely ready to go! Ideal with grilled chicken or as a catch-all for the barbecue.
Judiciously oaked Chardonnays can be utterly delicious and deeply complex, and if you have suffered too much in the past, do come back and try again – winemaking has never been better, and better understood. But if enough really is enough, then there are plenty of unoaked examples to consider.
Chehalem Winery Inox Unoaked Chardonnay, Columbia Valley
Inox refers to the tanks they use here – no oak, just stainless steel and the idea is for something a little like Chablis, or maybe certain Petit-Chablis: very fresh, crisp and apple-like, steely and lean, with touches of citrus zest, honey, white flowers, and a pleasing mineral finish. A super aperitif and a foil for lightly fried bites.
Baboon Rock Unwooded Chardonnay, La Petite Ferme
This has long been a go-to wine for me. A whiff of matchstick informs you that this is going to be fresh and tight, but it really blooms with lime and white flowers, honey and melon, with a touch of orange too. So lively, so intense, tonic-like mineral quality… it’s cracking. You can drink it on its own, but it will work with simple seafood, fried bites and salads.
The journey of Chardonnay
Chardonnay has been around a long time – it dates to the 12th century, and it’s now known to be the offspring of Pinot Noir and the peasant grape Gouais, which was almost certainly brought to France by the Romans via Croatia or central Europe. Once established, it spread quickly as it produced good yields and plenty of sweet juice.
Aside from winemaking choices with Chardonnay, there are viticultural options – choice of site, or parcel within a vineyard, training methods… and clonal choice is important as anything. While Chardonnay originated in France, cuttings travelled the world. In 1912, Ernest Wente took French cuttings back to his family’s Livermore Valley estate in California and through years of selective breeding, established the Wente Clone, something that went on to play a major part in the survival and success of the varietal in the USA.
James Busby, a Scot born in 1802, is considered the father of Australian wine and first took Chardonnay cuttings to Australia in 1832, although Murray Tyrell of his eponymous Hunter Valley estate produced the first commercial Aussie Chardonnay in the early 1970s with cuttings taken from Penfold’s experimental plantings.
Today, there are some 30 commercial clones of Chardonnay out in the world. Some produce grapes with thicker skins, better able to withstand disease; others have hardier rootstocks to cope with harder winters; there are unusual clones such as Gin Gin, common to Western Australia which produces uneven ‘hen and chicken’ grapes of great concentration; the Mendoza clone is generous and fruity, and on the flip side, clones better suited for champagne and sparkling wine production, give juice higher in acid with less overt fruit character.
Wente ‘Morning Fog’ Chardonnay, San Fransisco Bay
A historic estate offering a smart, affordable range of varietal wines. Morning Fog refers to the cooling sea fogs that reach into inland valleys of California’s Central Coast, vital in staving off the hot morning sun. An attractive mix of tropical and citrus fruit, with a subtle touch of vanilla. It often has a dash of Gewurztraminer in the blend which boosts the aromatics.
McHenry Hohnen Calgardup Vineyard Chardonnay, Margaret River
This is one of a handful of brilliant single vineyard wines that turned our heads when the winemaker, Japo, visited us a couple of years ago. Rather Chassagne-Montrachet-like, with a firm structure and palpable mineral character, overlaid with reductive struck match smoke and then layers of nougat, stone fruits, herb, fruit blossom and lime citrus. So much wine!! I’d push the boat out and partner this with something fancy. Not French Fancies!
Burgundy
Burgundy, in Eastern France, is the spiritual home of Chardonnay. From Chablis in the north, through the grand villages of Meursault, Chassagne, and Puligny-Montrachet in the Côte d’Or, taking in the Côte Chalonnaise vineyards of Rully and Montagny, and further south into the Mâconnais, its wealth of Mâcon-Villages and the crus of Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé.
Chablis, Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre
This Domaine has become a firm staff and customer favourite at Tanners. Nathalie & Gilles are producing Chablis that is simultaneously classic in terms of structure, that uncanny salinity and mineral feel, but also generosity of fruit and texture. There really isn’t much better than this in Chablis without spending heavily.
Santenay Blanc, Clos de la Comme Dessus, P&L Borgeot
White fruits, citrus and a creamy impression on the nose, moving through a rich and similarly creamy palate that shows very good depth and weight, a juicy, undulating feel punctuated with stony minerals. Great intensity.
Meursault vieilles vignes, Domaine Buisson-Charles
Old school Meursault from a student of the game, who appreciates wines that are made with suitably ripe fruit, that lean into the classic buttery, mellow, fat style. Honey, butter, hazelnut, apples and citrus, white flowers. An awful lot here in terms of flavour and texture. Superb. Another bottle to show off with!
Rully Blanc, P & M Jacqueson 2022
The wines of the Côte Chalonnaise were underrated for years but Rully is one of the villages that has helped build a reputation for quality and value. This offers a lovely richness on the nose, some new wood and bright lemon citrus with something softly floral too. Weighty and ample in the mouth, clean, with a chalky mineral grip and good length of flavour.
Over centuries, these villages, communes, and sub-regions have developed their own, often distinct, styles due to climate, exposition and soil type. Chablis, for instance, is much further north than the vast majority of Burgundy, so it’s naturally cooler and the fossil-rich clay/limestone soils promote that freshness, higher acidity, and mineral character. The warmest sites, those facing south and perhaps protected from winds by shallow valleys or forest, produced the ripest fruit and eventually became the premier and grand cru vineyards.
In the Côte d’Or, the main stretch of Burgundy which is essentially divided into the northern Côte de Nuits and the southern Côte de Beaune, we have an embarrassment of riches. This is where you find the key villages of Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet, the hill of Corton… the greatest premier and grand cru sites which all feature a mix of clay and limestone soils, shallow and poor for most things but not grape vines. Site expression reigns supreme here and it’s the driver of everything – the obsession with the rarest, and highest quality wines and where you really can taste the difference in surprisingly measurable distances!
It also gives opportunities. If you enjoy the powerful style of Corton, you might just appreciate the generous, flavourful wines of Pernand-Vergelesses close to which the great hill stands; similarly, the grand cru of Chevalier-Montrachet is literally a pebble’s throw from the much more attractively priced premier crus of Saint-Aubin; If you drive around the corner and up the hill from Meursault you will come to Auxey-Duresses, which often display similar notes of apple, apple blossom, and hazelnut. Site selection is so specific and important, but proximity can uncover amazing value too.
Pernand-Vergelesses Blanc, Rollin Père & Fils
Ripe and generous, really quite fat and honeyed, floral and full of lush yellow fruits. The palate is ample and rounded but shows very good freshness, with lots of white fruits, and great energy. Satisfying and ideal with something creamy or cheesy.
Auxey-Duresses Blanc, Michel Prunier & Fille
This is an excellent small estate, a lovely father and daughter team, producing highly characterful, good value wines. This Auxey offers up creamy citrus, with a concentrated floral quality, especially lime citrus. Clementine, nectarine and lime also feature on the palate, with a touch of spice to boot. Pair this with roasted fish, or for something lighter it makes a solid partner to charcuterie and cold cuts.
USA
The understanding of how great Chardonnay is grown has helped growers and winemakers to focus their searches when planting new vineyards or re-organising existing sites. Take California, and its 120-150 AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), an enormous area of great variety in terms of altitude, proximity to the sea, exposition and soil type. We have a relatively new producer, The Hilt, who are challenging themselves by seeking out the wildest spots of the surprisingly cool, windswept Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara, where their wines are showing incredible energy, tension, and promise. Ceritas too, further up the Central Coast, are producing beautiful, sea-kissed Chardonnays along the West Sonoma Coast… these aren’t the chubby, creamy, sickly wines you might have once known.
Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa feel a little more manageable but that probably highlights my own ignorance!
South Africa
In the Cape, you will find most wine growing is done pretty much in view of the sea, or in valleys that channel cooling sea breezes and these are the spots where you find the best Chardonnay. It’s all about keeping things cool, to stretch out a growing season where the grape can achieve full ripeness without excesses.
Journey’s End Haystack Chardonnay, Stellenbosch
A fun, clean and bright style where the oak has been pared back over the past few years. Lightly tropical and citrusy, with a touch of matchstick, the palate shows good richness and the whole is fresh and rather Mâcon-like.
La Petite Ferme Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Franschhoek
A lovely subtle touch of oak, a little smoky/flinty reduction and very bright citrus fruit, with notes of pear and hints of pineapple. Elegant, dry and lively with a delicious, lip-smacking crisp, mineral finish. I’d have this on hand with a big bowl of mussels!
New Zealand
It sounds very general to say New Zealand has a favourable climate for vine growing but you can throw a dart and land on a great spot. This can range from Auckland in the north of the North Island, down to the fruit basket that is Hawke’s Bay, across the water via Martinborough through Marlborough and onto Central Otago. There are more besides, but New Zealand is a GREAT country for quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (not just Sauvignon!).
Te Mata Estate Chardonnay, Hawke’s Bay 2023
Te Mata is a brilliant estate and a clever model where they produce lots of high-quality fruit and vegetables to sell. They only produce wines from 10% of what they grow, so you know the selection is top-notch. I often find this wine has a surprisingly Chablis-like personality, considering it comes from the dependably warm Hawke’s Bay. Notes of popcorn, smoky reduction, salty stony mineral qualities, citrus and stone fruit flavours.
Australia
Australia feels more like an Old World country to me now. They have long-established vineyards right across the country that have passed from small growers to larger corporations, then back to private ownership. It’s hard in such a hot place, but some sub-regions and microclimates can produce fruit that competes with the best from anywhere in the world. Western Australia always springs to mind when considering cool climate Aussie wines, originally home to Semillon/Sauvignon Bordeaux blends, but amazing Chardonnay is gaining ground. The upper valleys of Victoria and the coastal Mornington Peninsula are hot spots and let us not forget Hunter Valley, where Australia’s Chardonnay story began. The future looks very bright for Tasmania too!
Paringa Estate Peninsula Chardonnay, Mornington Peninsula
This shows the cool and super fresh conditions of MP, just across the water from Tasmania. Long seasons with plenty of sunshine, the sea breezes bring a salty kiss and there is a delicious citrus, spicy, ginger-like combination with attractive, subtle oak and sweet nectarine fruit flavours. Classy and delicious with roast chicken.
South America
South America is full of potential for great Chardonnay – at the entry-level and aspirational points. Argentina probably feels safer sticking to Malbec, but the extreme elevations are capable of brilliance in white wines too. Chile too has extreme regions to the far north, far south, into the foothills of the Andes and also closer to the Pacific. There’s no shortage of options, but they have their own battles with a perception that Chile just produces cheaper wines.
Tanners Chilean Chardonnay, Colchagua Valley
Made for us by Sutil Family Wines, who have a base winery in Peralillo (Colchagua), this is a more exotically fruity style that pushes from citrus and peach to mango. There is a light oaked element here too, and on the whole it’s fresh, juicy and well-balanced. The fruit source here really is excellent. A versatile bottle for the table, try with a butternut squash pilaf!
Cristóbal 1492 Chardonnay, Mendoza
A convincing Mâcon-Villages look-a-like from the high altitude vineyards of Mendoza. Little or no oak, just pure fruit that runs around white fruits, citrus, stone fruit, and a touch of the tropical. Cristobal likes their natural acidity, so this is silky and bright as a button. A great all rounder.
Champagne
Chardonnay is one of the principal varietals in Champagne and you will find it in its purest form as Champagne Blanc de Blancs, usually with fruit from the Côte des Blancs. While Chardonnay is used to bring finesse to a blend, and this is true of varietal champagne, I often find them to be expressive and even exotic. Posh, not cheap, but very smart!
Where you have Champagne, you have look-a-likes. France is home to a great number of Crémant wines, which are made in the same fashion as champagne but often have a shorter ageing period. Chardonnay is used in sparkling wines all over the world, at all levels and various methods – Traditional (as per Champagne) or Tank, aka Charmat, as they do in Prosecco and more commercially priced fizz. It even appears in Cava, where a long history of production using native varietals competes with wines made to try and feel and taste closer to Champagne.
Michel Arnould & Fils ‘Anastrophe’, Blanc de Blancs, Grand Cru 2019
A new wine to the list from a dear old producer and something that really stole the show at our tastings back in November! Great purity, really bright and floral, all about elegance and precision. And a lovely bottle too!
Crémant du Jura, Brut Zéro Dosage, Champ Divin
From a small producer with a great range of interesting wines, this comes and goes, but wow! This Crémant does have some Pinot Noir in the blend, but Chardonnay leads the way: really quite rich but dry, creamy and floral with super energy. It’s a great Champagne alternative made in the same way. Good for bold dishes.
Sweet Wines
Chardonnay isn’t the obvious choice for late harvest sweet wines, but it’s capable in the right hands and in the right spots – or even in the wrong spots but at the right time! It all comes down to keeping the fruit in good condition through a longer harvest, into a late harvest – you can imagine how tantalising the sweetest, plumpest berries are to the wildlife! If you have the right conditions to bring on noble rot, usually close to a large body of water, like Neusiederslee in Austria, where Chardonnay is often produced as a sweetie, either alone or as part of a blend, you can get into the supercharged liked of Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese!
Sweet Chardonnay, as you might imagine, really leans into the more exotic side of the fruits. Green apples become baked; pears are now part of a pastry; citrus moves into the orange; white peach gives way to apricot, mango, and much more besides.
Príncipe de Viana Vendimia Tardia Chardonnay, Navarra
I still remember this wine first arriving – we don’t see too many sweet chardonnays for whatever reason. The bottle has changed a bit of over the years and makes quite the statement now! Really complex, rich and heady, the full range of citrus but also fig, vanilla, a little spice, and brilliant freshness.
Esterházy Beerenauslese, Burgenland
A blend of Chardonnay and Welschriesling from vineyards close to Neusiedlersee in eastern Austrian. Great concentration, layers of fresh and dried fruits, orange, honey, and a certain herby character. Ample, silky, gloriously sweet but very fresh and tangy to keep you coming back for more.
These wines can work as a dessert by themselves but when you get those richer stone fruits and orange-y marmalade notes, you can work with chocolate and coffee-based desserts; fruit-based desserts should be fun but I think the best matches are the savoury dishes – pâté, foie gras, terrines… anything you might have a dollop of something sweet can be swapped out for a sweet wine.
There you have it. Chardonnay can do so much, at all levels in all styles. You have almost certainly enjoyed one without realising it and if you have been put off in the past, there has never been a better time to try again.