Chardonnay is a white grape variety from France where it makes the famous white wines from Burgundy, France, like Chablis, Meursault and Corton-Charlemagne. Today it is grown around the world and made into dry white wines at every quality level. It also is an important component of high-quality sparkling wines, notably those of Champagne, France.
Chardonnay’s fruit expression changes with the climate it is grown in: cooler regions bring forth notions of citrus and pome fruit like apple and pear, warmer climes turn that into riper stone fruit flavours of plum and peach and eventually tropical notes of mango and pineapple. Chardonnay is not as openly aromatic as some other white varieties, but it has a great affinity for oak-ageing and malo-lactic fermentation, both of which can be key flavour elements of Chardonnay. When aged in French oak, Chardonnay can have smoky, nutty, toasty expressions while American oak can give notions of vanilla, coconut and popcorn. Malo-lactic fermentation, where the wine’s sharp malic acid is converted into softer lactic acid, can bring forth creamy notions of dairy, ranging from cold butter to yoghurt. There also always is a textural element to Chardonnay.
Chardonnay is a natural crossing of Pinot and Gouais Blanc that must have occurred centuries ago, somewhere in the Saône-et-Loire region of eastern France.
Chardonnay today grows in wine regions across the world. Its climatic adaptability allows it to thrive in cool, marginal climates like England, in the hotter regions of Australia, California and South Africa and anywhere in between. It is the world’s second most planted white grape variety and it is likely that anywhere you go in the world where wine is grown, somebody grows Chardonnay.
French poet Eustace Deschamps, who died in 1406, already sung that Chablis was perfect for oysters, but we do not know if Chablis wines at the time were made from Chardonnay.
This grape variety is also known by the name of:
Arboisier, Arnaison Blanc, Arnoison, Beaunois, Auvernas Blanc, Biela Klevanjika, Aubain, Auvergnat Blanc, Aubaine, Auxeras, Auxerrois Blanc, Auxerras Blanc, Auxois Blanc, Blanc De Champagne, Bargeois Blanc, Chaudenay, Chaudent, Blanc De Cramant, Chardenai, Chardonay, Chardennet, Chardonnay Bijeli, Chardonnay Cl. 6/24, Chardonnet, Breisgauer Suessling, D'Epintte, Chatenait, Breisgauer Sussling, Chatey Petit, Chatte, Burgundi Feher, Cravner, Burgunder Weisser, Chablis, Epinette Blanc, Epinette Blanche, Epinette De Champagne, Ericey Blanc, Feherburgundi, Feher Chardonnay, Klevanjka Biela, Gelber Weissburgunder, Feinburgunder, D'Arnoison, D'Auvernat Blanc, Maurillon Blanc, Morillon Blanc, Lisan, Pinot De Bourgogne, Pinot Chardonnay, Petit Chantey, Petit Chatey, Luizant, Luizannais, Luzannois, Pinot Giallo, Grosse Bourgogne, Pineau Blanc, Klawner, Obaideh, Moulon, Luisant, Melon A Queue Rouge, Melon D'Arbois, Morillon, Petite Sainte Marie, Pino Plan Shardone, Pino Sardone, Pino Shardone, Roussot, Sainte Marie Petite, Rulander Weiss, Petit Sainte-Marie, Pinot Planc, Sardone, Weiss Burgunder, Pinot Blanc A Cramant, Pinot Blanc Chardonnay, Wais Edler, Waiser Clevner, Veis Edler, Veiser Klevner, Noiren Blanc, Noirien Blanc, Romere, Romeret, Plant De Tonnerre, Spaeter Weiss Burgunder, Weiss Edler, Weiss Clevner, Weiss Elder, Weiss Klewner, Weiss Silber, Weisser Clevner, Shardone, Shardonne, Weisser Rulaender, Weisser Rulander
