Information about White Varietal

Cayetana

Chardonnay

Chasselas

Chardonnay overview
Chardonnay is the world's most common high quality dry white wine varietal and is vinified in a wide range of styles. It is sole grape of white Burgundy, including the classic regions of the Côte de Beaune, with Le Montrachet at the peak, and of Chablis, as well as the Mâcon. It is widely used in the New World, making oak-driven barrel fermented wines in California and in Australia. As a varietal, it has no pronounced individual characteristics, and is enormously influenced by the choices made during vinification, most importantly the use and type of oak. It is rarely blended with other varietals, except in the production of sparkling wine (as typified by Champagne and its imitators), and in the Sémillon-Chardonnay blends of Australia. The Chardonnay varietal originated (together with several other modern varietals) from a (natural) cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais (a low quality bulk production grape).

Styles of Chardonnay
The style of a wine produced from Chardonnay is determined by the process of vinification, and can range from steely and minerally, with hints of green apples (from cool climates and/or where there is no malolactic fermentation), to fat wines with vanilla and butterscotch from oak, or to tropical fruits (accentuated by low-temperature fermentation). The biggest influence is the use of oak. Unoaked Chardonnays are classic products of Chablis and Mâcon, also of the areas of Southern France. They are also now made in Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, and in Australia. Chardonnay is the white grape that responds best to oak, and the high level of pigmentation in skin, and the practice of skin contact, gives the wines a deep color. The classic oaked Chardonnay is from Burgundy. Chardonnay is one of the grapes that has been most successful in the New World, as typified by oaked Chardonnays in California and both oaked and unoaked from Australia. The best wines, typically matured in oak, produced from vines at low yield, can mature for 10 years.

Viticulture of Chardonnay
Chardonnay is an extremely adaptable grape that can be easily grown under a wide variety of conditions. It does best on limestone soils. Because it is early-budding, Chardonnay is subject to damage from spring frosts, which can be a problem in cool climates (e.g. Chablis, Champagne). However, it otherwise has good resistance to cold weather (important in Champagne). It is also early-ripening, which makes it appropriate for climates with a short growing season. It tends to vigor, which needs to be countered by dense planting or heavy pruning. It is usually trained by Guyot. Chardonnay develops high sugar levels (giving high alcohol) and loses its acids rapidly at the end of the season. This makes the time of harvesting critical. (In a warm climate, late picking can make a flabby wine).

The taste of Chardonnay