Chardonnay is one of the most popular wines around today, and is available in a wide range of prices and quality levels. The Chardonnay grape itself is fairly neutral, lean and crisp. Where the grape is grown and the wine is made helps to determine the wine’s flavors. Chardonnay’s flavor profile is “flinty” with a taste of minerals, to rich and buttery. Chardonnay styles can be crisp (no oak aging), oaky, buttery, and smooth. Also of note, one of the principle grapes to produce Champagne (Blanc de Blanc) is Chardonnay!
The Chardonnay grape tends to grow well when planted in cool areas where the soil is composed of chalk, clay and limestone. The resulting wines can either be light to full-bodied, or dry to medium dry in taste. The flavors you will smell and taste will be apple, pear, grapefruit, vanilla, spice, butterscotch, and caramel.
In France, the principle white grape of Burgundy is Chardonnay. The region of Chablis is the northern most wine producing region in France, and Chardonnay is the only grape allowed. Chardonnay wines from this region will have little or no oak aging, and will have that flinty aroma, and flavors of apple, pear and minerals. Other wines from France (Maconnais, Pouilly-Fuisse, Macon-Villages) produce similar wines and the latter is where you will find the best values. For a buttery style, go with a Meursault (mehr-SOH).
In the states, look for Chardonnay from Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, the Carneros Region of Napa Valley, and Columbia Valley in Washington State. These areas tend to produce Chardonnay aged in oak vs. those of France. Oak aging adds the vanilla taste component. These Chardonnay’s can also feel rounder and fuller on your palate vs. the crisp clean style of others. Try a fairly inexpensive Chardonnay in contrast to a more expensive bottle (around 20 dollars or above) to experience the difference in the complexity and intense fruit in the higher priced bottle.
Food pairing with unoaked Chardonnay: shrimp, prawns, salmon with a lemon sauce. Try roasted pork with a full bodied unoaked Chardonnay.
Try Lobster with Meursault. Try a US based Chardonnay with scallops and seafood with butter and cream sauce.
