Chardonnay - A cornucopia of flavours

Chardonnay is a white grape variety with a high degree of recognition, hardly any other has achieved such fame worldwide. Its triumphal march began in France, all the great white French wines and, of course, Champagne are Chardonnay. This grape variety adapts very well to external conditions. In cooler regions, it tends to produce mineral tones and citrus flavours, while in warmer regions the spectrum ranges from vanilla to tropical aromas and apple. It is also versatile when it comes to ageing, whether in barriques or steel tanks, and can produce very elegant and at the same time very fresh, fruity wines.

More about Chardonnay

Profiles

The best Chardonnays are a marvel of complexity. The taste of Chardonnay always reflects the vineyard site and Chardonnay always stands for wines with a lot of structure but few flavours. Depending on the vineyard and growing region, the flavours vary between densely woven and perfectly balanced, between ripeness and acidity, between moderate and generous alcohol content, between tropical fruit and citrus notes and between full-bodied and lean.

Fruit★★★★

Body★★★★

Tannin★★

Acidity★★★

Alcohol★★★★

Flavours

Warm growing regions such as South Africa produce fruitier Chardonnay wines with notes of yellow apple and pineapple. In Chardonnay from the cooler climate of its native France, the dominant flavours are quince and star fruit.

Dominant notes:

- Yellow apple
- star fruit
- pineapple
- butter
- Chalk

Possible notes:

- Tree fruit/melon: yellow apple, honeydew melon, nashi pear, pear, white peach, apricot
- Dried fruit: star fruit, mango, pineapple
- Citrus: Meyer lemon, lime zest
- Floral: Citrus blossom
- Earth/Other: Chalk, saline, crushed gravel
- Tertiary: Hazelnut, almond
- Secondary notes: Mushroom, butter, curd, crème fraîche, toast
- Aged in oak: crème brûlée, burnt caramel, toffee, baking spices, cake base, vanilla

Harmonises with

Chardonnay is the universal food companion. If you're not sure which wine to pair with your dish, a good Chardonnay is always the right choice! Light, young wines go well with fish and seafood, while strong or wood-accentuated wines go just as well with roast meats as they do with savoury cheeses. Even if you enjoy a refreshing glass of white wine on warm days, a Chardonnay is perfect.

Always serve Chardonnay slightly warmer, between 12 and 14°C, and in a balloon glass. This allows more flavours to rise into the goblet of the glass and makes the wine taste stronger, as the barrique notes can combine better with the overall bouquet.

General information

Chardonnay is the most frequently cultivated white grape variety in the world. It can be found in South Africa, France, the USA, Australia, Italy, Chile, Spain, Argentina, Moldova and New Zealand. Worldwide, almost 200,000 hectares of vineyards are planted with Chardonnay vines. They thrive best on deep, calcareous and warm soils. Chardonnay ripens quite late in autumn and has good winter hardiness. It is not particularly susceptible to disease and, like many other old grape varieties, has its origins in the Near East.

With the spread of wine culture, Chardonnay came to France and found a new home in Burgundy in particular. A settlement near Tournus called "Chardonnay" may have given the variety its name. In Burgundy, the monasteries were responsible for the propagation and cultivation of the variety. For centuries, Chardonnay has been synonymous with great, classic white wines.

Today, the mostly dry Chardonnays reflect the diversity of their growing regions. The vines adapt to almost any climate and produce a wide variety of grape qualities. This characteristic of Chardonnay allows the cellar masters to produce very different flavour variations when ageing the wines: Stored in new oak barrels, Chardonnay reveals toast, caramel and vanilla flavours, a particularly long yeast ageing period provides more smoothness, aged in steel tanks, the tropical fruits in particular come into their own.

Chardonnay wines from California, Chile, Spain, Australia and Burgundy, for example, are known for their oaky and creamy flavours. Unoaked Chardonnays are light and sparkling and mostly come from France and Western Australia. The sparkling wine "Blanc des Blancs" is also made from Chardonnay grapes. Chardonnay is a wine that can follow any trend.