Chardonnay is one of the most popular and widely planted white grapes in the world. It makes great age-worthy whites as well as sparkling wines, and adapts to very different climates. Its homeland is still France: Burgundy for still wines, Champagne for bubbles.
A grape that shows the winemaker’s hand
Chardonnay buds and ripens early. In cool regions like Chablis, spring frost is its main risk; in warm regions it can lose its acidity quickly as harvest approaches.
It takes to every style of winemaking: aged in stainless steel it stays fresh; fermented or aged in barrel it gains richness. Many Chardonnays also go through malolactic fermentation, which turns sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid and brings a creamy texture and buttery notes.
In cool climates it suggests green apple, citrus and flint. In warmer ones it leans toward peach, melon and tropical fruit. Oak adds vanilla and toast.
Did you know? Blanc de blancs Champagnes are made from Chardonnay alone. The grape loves chalk and marl: its finest cuvées come from Champagne, Chablis and the clay-limestone soils of the Côte d’Or.
Burgundy
Chardonnay is Burgundy’s great white grape. In Chablis, to the north, the wines are taut, lemony and mineral, aged in tank or in old barrels that leave little mark. In the Côte d’Or, especially the Côte de Beaune, they gain richness and toasty notes: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne are among the most celebrated whites in the world. Further south, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais offer excellent village wines, often more affordable.
Champagne
In Champagne, Chardonnay is one of the three main grapes, alongside Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It brings finesse and freshness to the blends, and it is the only grape in blanc de blancs.
California
It is California’s most planted white grape. Napa Valley and Sonoma County make generous wines, often marked by American or French oak, while coastal areas such as the Sonoma Coast give fresher, more mineral versions. The Central Coast, from Monterey to the Santa Lucia Highlands and the Sta. Rita Hills, also grows a great deal of it.
Elsewhere in the world
It appears in the sparkling wines of Franciacorta, in Lombardy, and in Styria, Austria, where it is called Morillon. New York State (Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, Long Island), Oregon and Washington State grow it too. In the southern hemisphere, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Chile make it in every style and at every price.
Unoaked or oaked Chardonnay?
Tank-aged Chardonnay, like many white Burgundies and Chablis, keeps livelier acidity and fresh aromas. A glass with a narrower bowl preserves that tension: the Riedel Performance Chardonnay glass.
Oak-aged Chardonnay takes on a more golden colour and vanilla, woody notes that balance its fruit. A wider glass that lets those aromas open up suits it better: the Riedel Veritas Oaked Chardonnay glass.
