Chardonnay - The versatile variety.

Planted in more wine regions across the world than any other grape, Chardonnay rules the white wine world and could be classed as the Queen of wine- sitting alongside Cabernet Sauvignon as wine’s King.

Chardonnay is renowned as a versatile wine that can produce a variety of styles- from the rich, viscous and full-bodied all the way to the lean, austere and mineral. The location and soil that the grape is grown in plays a huge role in defining a Chardonnay ’s character, as do winemaking techniques that alter the taste and aromas of a wine.

Truly the global grape

While the origins of Chardonnay have been debated, it cannot be argued that Chardonnay ’s true spiritual home is in Burgundy, France. It’s here that winemakers produce wines of utmost elegance and structure, along with complex and plentiful flavours. Further north around the city of Auxerre, the Chablis sub-region produces a Chardonnay of minerality rather than opulent richness.

Chardonnay ’s global reach continues, having set up home in countries the likes of Germany, the USA, South Africa, Austria, Italy, Israel, Lebanon, Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Moldova, Portugal, Romania, Macedonia, Slovenia, Switzerland and England.

The flavours of Chardonnay

Being such an adaptable grape, Chardonnay is capable of showing a multitude of flavour profiles. It suits a wide variety of soils, but thrives best in chalk, clay and limestone, which is prevalent in Burgundy.

Due to Chardonnay ’s malleability, many winemaking techniques can be employed to deliver flavour complexity and structure. These include barrel fermentation, wild yeast ferments, yeast lees contact and stirring, malolactic fermentation and barrel storage. All these methods help to deliver aromas and flavours of peach, melon and gooseberry with hints of cashew nuts, toast and honey.

Chardonnay ’s diversity means it lends itself to a wide variety of food matches. The more austere and mineral versions drink beautifully alongside white meat, especially turkey and tomato based dishes. The slightly heavier and buttery styles tend to be best suited to smoked seafood and Asian cuisine, as well as aged cheeses.

Australian Chardonnay. .

Modern Australian Chardonnay is almost unrecognisable from those of just a decade ago.

The revitalised styles range from fresh, minerally and tight-as-a-drum through to powerful and rich.

More and more wine writers are claiming that Australia now produces the finest examples of Chardonnay outside of Burgundy- and arguably the best value Chardonnay in the world.

For those who had grown tired of the Australian Chardonnay s of old, it might be the time to take another look.

The style of Australian Chardonnay.

The Style: A diverse range of styles from flinty and fine, to powerful and textual. Today’s Australian Chardonnay s have a better balance between flavour, (natural) acidity and oak- with oak now a subtle canvas for the fruit rather than a dominant one. World-class, sophisticated styles that importantly are still identifiably Australian.

2010 - Fine, fresh, light/medium-bodied wines with great restraint, improved balance and expression of terroir
Colour:
 Pale straw to light yellow.
Aromas and flavours:
 Restrained fruit - a spectrum from melon and citrus to just-tropical, passionfruit, oak, minerals.
Alcohol:
 Lower average (12.5 to 13.5% ABV)
Regions
 Adelaide Hills, Margaret River, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Orange, Tasmania
Earlier-Ripeness
 Resulting in higher natural acidity, more restrained fruit flavours,
Slower Ageing
 Medium. 3+5 years.
1980 - Over-alcoholic, over-oaked, over-ripe, flabby, heavy, buttery, even sweet styles
Colour:
 Bright yellow to luminescent gold.
Aromas and flavours:
 Grilled ripe peach, pineapple, cashew, honey, oak, coconut, chair leg, toffee, charry.
Alcohol:
 14-16% ABV
Regions
 Warm - Barossa Valley SA, Riverland NSW, Hunter Valley NSW
Advanced-Ripeness
 Resulting in low acidity, ripe flavours and high residual sugar or alcohol
Early Ageing
 Limited, best at 1-2 years maximum with rapid ageing cycle. Cork seal.

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