Thoughtfully posted by John on Monday, August 9, 2010.
Lately I have been drinking wines made from fairly obscure grapes – Blatterle from the Alto-Adige, Ruche from Piedmont, Assyrtiko from Santorini and Frapato from Sicily. These grapes produce some of the most exciting and nuanced wines I have had in a long time. However, I can’t help but think that Chardonnay, though it’s one of the most noble grapes in the world, sometimes does not receive the credit and adulation it is due.
Chardonnay produces some of the most classic and long lived wines in the world. Essentially, Chardonnay is a fairly neutral grape. It is more of a blank canvas that expresses the aromatics and flavors of the land and climate within which it is grown. Along with reflecting its sense of place (and sometimes its lack thereof), Chardonnay is also easily manipulated by the winemaker. In this instance, Chardonnay is no different than Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot or any other fine single varietal wine, however, it has garnered an unfair reputation from some critics and many consumers. In my career, I have heard, “I don’t like Chardonnay” more than I’d like to remember. I have also heard the same people say, “I really don’t like Chardonnay, but white Burgundy is delicious!”Chardonnay is grown in almost every winemaking country from Albania to the United States. This might upset some of my winemaking friends in California, but the very best Chardonnay is produced in Burgundy. As Pinot Noir is the single varietal used in red Burgundy (outside Beaujolais, of course), Chardonnay is the most important white varietal in the Golden Slope vineyards. A little bit of Aligote and Pinot Blanc can be used in certain appellations, but that is for another day. Starting with Chablis (and even more north, in Champagne) and down through Beaujolais, the most storied home for Chardonnay is in Burgundy. Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet are the big three in terms of the best winemaking villages in Burgundy. Chardonnay is also grown successfully in other regions within France as wonderful versions come from Jura and parts of the Southwest. Italy, Austria and Spain also produce wonderful Old World Chardonnay.
In the New World, Chardonnay has fine homes in the Unites States, Chile, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and even Canada. Perhaps the most well known are bottlings from California hail from the Russian River Valley, Carneros, Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley and parts of Santa Barbara. When made at its best, Chardonnay from California can be among the world’s standard bearers.
Due to an infatuation with oak and aggressive marketing by New World wine lake suppliers, Chardonnay suffered from a slew of Anything But Chardonnay campaigns in the late 90s and early 00s. The over-oaked style turned off not only critics and sommeliers, but many consumers as well. And as it he case with any single varietal wine or style, when oak loses its integration and dominates the wine, the wine loses balance and becomes boring. Currently there is a movement by winemakers to break free of the stereotype that has lingered around Chardonnay for too long. As they look to use less judicious amounts of oak and produce wines that age in stainless steel so the terroir and climate can better express themselves in the finished wine. What does Chardonnay taste like once oak is scaled back? Two words to remember when describing Chardonnay – apples and pears. And depending on the region where it’s grown, Chardonnay can smell and taste like under ripe green Granny Smith Apple or it can exude baked red apple pie flavors. And more so in the New World – Chardonnay can take on tropical notes of mango, pineapple and overripe pears and apples. In old world, minerals, more reserved stone fruit and even hints of nuttiness are all hallmarks of European Chardonnay. And natural acidity in Chardonnay is high with selections from the Old World having more pronounced acidity than those coming from the hotter regions in the New World.
And Chardonnay can age. As a whole, I have had more enjoyable bottles with age from Burgundy, but California winemakers that do not focus on high-octane fruit and oak produce Chardonnays that can last a decade or more. And as for Burgundy, it’s a wine that keeps on giving – over time a well made bottle from a top flight vineyard can outlast their New World counterparts for quite some time.
Of course these are all generalizations that can change with vintage, winemaking techniques and quality of vineyard location, but the descriptors above serve as a fairly accurate guide in gauging what you should expect. The winemaking community right now is incredibly exciting and Chardonnay is being experimented with as winemakers are looking to place an emphasis more on a sense of place and less on winery adjustments to the finished wine.
Chardonnay is a delightful grape that produces hands down some of the greatest wines in the world. And I am teaching a class on Chardonnay on August 20th at Uproot Restaurant in Warren, NJ. (Details here) We are going to be picking the wines this week and as was the case with our Pinot Noir class, we will not be choosing any shy violets. General Manager Jonathan Ross and I will picking what we think are the most accurate representations of Chardonnay from around the world and in addition to having a great time, I will highlight topics that I mentioned above. One thing I can guarantee is that you will leave the class having learned Chardonnay the right way – from the wines themselves. The best wines in the world speak to the drinker and Chardonnay has perhaps the most distinguished voice of them all.
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