A Chardonnay Sips Safari
It's Chardonnay Day today!
It’s Chardonnay Day today. Hurrah! And with Chardonnay very much back in vogue thanks to our nostalgia for all things Bridget Jones, I thought it was the perfect time to give you Chardonnay Sips Safari so you can get under the skin of this exceptionally versatile grape.
First of all, here are some need to know Chardonnay facts:
Not all Chardonnay is oaked.
Not all oak in Chardonnay is the same (e.g. sickly oak staves VS savoury, spicy barrels!)
Blanc de Blancs Champagne is made with 100% Chardonnay.
Crémant de Bourgogne is often 100% Chardonnay, sometimes with a splash of Pinot
Chablis is made with 100% Chardonnay too.
Chardonnay is known as a ‘Noble Grape’, which means it's a high-quality wine grape grown across multiple regions. You can find it just about everywhere these days. What’s great about it is that it’s quite the blank canvas, easily soaking up characteristics from the exact spot where it’s grown. Some places, however, are very famous for it, so try these three key styles first:
Burgundy, France
If it’s white and it’s from Burgundy (Bourgogne in French), it’s going to be made with 100% Chardonnay - or near as dammit. These are golden wines with notes of ripe apple and often a savoury spice from oak.
Try: The Society's Exhibition Saint-Aubin Blanc 2022, £23 The Wine Society
Chablis, France
While technically a northern part of the Burgundy region, the style is dramatically different, especially at the Petit Chablis or straight Chablis end where wines are unoaked, crisp and dry with a characteristic chalky note.
Try: M&S Collection Chablis - M&S and Ocado £18
Sonoma, California
With all that Calfornian sunshine, Chardonnay here often has a richer more marshmallow-like, vanilla softness to the wine, yet those cool breezes keep it fresh. These are generous and rich styles - perfect with food. This is a classic example - and classic producer - of ‘New World’ Chard from California.
Try: Kendall-Jackson 'Vintners Reserve' Chardonnay 2023, California, Majestic £20 single or £18 mix six price, Majestic
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Hawkes Bay is to Chardonnay what Marlborough is to Sauvignon Blanc and here you’ll find generous wines with a seam of cool freshness. Head to the north of the region too and there’s an abundance of incredible producers. Tony Bish is one one such producer. The ‘king of Chardonnay’, he makes several styles - all unapologetically Chardonnay but in different guises. This one’s been fermented in a concrete egg and has incredible texture with notes of hazelnut and citrus peel. Complex and delicious.
Try: Tony Bish 2019 Golden Egg Chardonnay, £32.99 Noble Grape