Continuing our series on grape varieties, this week we are focusing on Chardonnay, the famous white wine grape. Cousin to the red Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay is grown in nearly every country around the world, although it originated from Burgundy, in France. It is from this region that its fame as the classic dry white wine emerged. Burgundy is also the source of a significant body of lore surrounding the 'correct' methods of making Chardonnay.
The methods used by French winemakers were observed very closely in the world's second largest Chardonnay cultivating country, the United States until the 1980s. During this decade a fashion for extremely juicy, sweet, golden brown Chardonnays was rapidly followed by a fad for an equally extreme dry, green type of wine. By the time the taste for Chardonnay settled to a more varied range, the classic methods of creating the wine had been left behind somewhat. Winemakers began experimenting with the near sacrilegious idea of using American oak in the aging barrels rather than French and if that wasn't bad enough they began trying blends that had never existed before. French winemakers may have been rolling in their graves but the consumers were buying the new style of Chardonnays springing up from the US and Australia to such an extent that there were fears the supply would dry up.
The Chardonnay grape will grow in a wide variety of conditions from the relatively cool and wet conditions of the English midlands to the scorching dry heat of the Barossa Range in Southern Australia. Unless the soil is particularly austere the vine produces plentiful grapes bursting with juice and sugars. Its light green skin is characteristic of the colour of some of the driest, sharpest wines but it is counter indicative to some of the deep yellow wines it can produce. It is this wide range of end products from one grape that has helped to guarantee its global popularity and success.
It must be said that the very finest Chardonnay's come from vines where the crop yield is low and the flavour of the grapes more concentrated. Such vines are cultivated in old, renowned and surprisingly small vineyards in France and California and they are extravagantly expensive. For everyday table wine it is better to look to Australia, New Zealand and South America. South Africa can produce some spectacular Chardonnays however there are far more mediocre South African wines than there are good ones.
Chablis, technically part of the Burgundy region but nearly a region in itself, lies to the very north of Burgundy. Not all wine from this region is wood aged; some go straight from the stainless steel vats to the bottle. All other non-barrel aged Chardonnay's are judged against those produced in the Chablis region. Known for their clarity, sharpness and generally light flavour they are the epitome of the type of classic chilled wine you might have with fish.
At the other end of the spectrum lye the barrel aged, golden and mellow wines of California. The barrel aging softens and adds a hint of wood to the flavour along with the suggestion of smoke since the inside of the barrels are roasted before wine is ever placed in them. During one of the Chardonnay fads of the 1980s the craze for woody wine led some winemakers to dump bags of wood chips into their wines during fermentation, leaving the light wines tasting of nothing but wood. Fortunately this practise has died out along with the craze for extremely woody wines.
Australia, as is its norm, deliberately went its own route for wine production involving Chardonnay, creating incredibly luscious wines that overwhelm with a sense of a huge flavour, filling the whole mouth and dominating any other flavours involved. They generally contain a lot of alcohol (up to 14%) and they are very popular, providing relief from the more reserved French wines.
Chile chose to create two distinct styles of Chardonnay. The first modelled after the French wines, which are light and quite acidic. The second takes more after the Australian style, big wholehearted wines with lots of personality. Chile's wide-ranging climate made this split possible although it is worth being careful as some of Chile's wineries use quite outdated equipment, which adversely affects the flavour of the wine.
Chardonnay is a good accompaniment to any meal; the richer ones also go down well as a pleasure in and of themselves. The drier wines go well with fish, especially with a buttery sauce. Below are a few examples of decent Chardonnay's to try.
The Chablis region produces many variations on a theme of good Chardonnay; try the Domaine Defaix Chablis for around £9.99. If you are looking for one of those famous boisterous Australian wines go for a Petaluma Chardonnay from £7.99 to £14.99. The Summer Lake Californian Chardonnay is worth a tipple at around £7.99. It falls somewhere between the above Defaix and Petaluma and goes particularly well with roast chicken.
Bottle of the Week: Santa Rita Reserva 1999 - Chardonnay, £8.99 approx. A very pleasant, relaxing wine that's good with most foods or on its own. It has a hint of sweetness without being overbearing and goes down easy. The wine should be slightly chilled but left to warm up for a few minutes before drinking.
Clever thing to say: The term Chardonnay was unknown outside winemaking circles until the latter half of the twentieth century when varietal labelling became commonplace. Prior to that people simply thought of it as fine Burgundy wine.
March Rogers
