3

White Wine

Chardonnay

Chardonnay has incredible versatility and can be picked over quite a wide range of sugar levels and flavour ripeness.

The variety takes its name from the village of Chardonnay near Uchizy in the Mâconnais, in southern Burgundy. A region gaining in reputation for the production of delicious Chardonnay. Thought to have originated from Sâone-et-Loire between Lyon and Dijon.

Where is it grown?

Burgundy is the mythical home of Chardonnay. From there it spreads far and wide across the world. One of the three main varieties of Champagne production, we also see massive plantings in Australia and North America. You’ll find it somewhere in pretty much every wine growing country.
In Australia 340,000 tonnes of Chardonnay grapes are harvested each year over four times more than the No.2 white grape in Australia, Sauvignon Blanc!

What does it taste like?

There are a vast array of flavours, aromas, and, textures that Chardonnay can offer from the fruit alone, add in use of solid, fermentation vessels like oak, eggs, and tanks, and, malolactic fermentation, the sky is the limit.

Chardonnay has incredible versatility and can be picked over quite a wide range of sugar levels and flavour ripeness. The same vineyard can be picked with enough sugar to make a wine of 10-11% alcohol for sparkling production and then 14% for table wine with anything in between possible. Picked earlier it tends to have more citrus and green apple characters. Picked ripper the natural acidity drops and the flavours progress through stone fruit, to pineapple, fig and melon.

The hand of the winemaker has been particularly evident in Australia over the last 20 years. Starting with big, broad, alcoholic full malo styles in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the pendulum swung to the lean, acid driven styles in Australia in the mid-00’s, with some down right mean wines produced in the cooler climates like the Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills, Mornington, and, Tasmania.  Currently, styles have found balance with generosity and elegance. Australian Chardonnay is the best it has ever been. Restrained oak use is thankfully the norm, and, globally we are seeing greater use of larger oak barrels, reducing the influence of any new oak.

Use of wild fermentation, malolactic fermentation and grape solids in ferments can add an array of secondary aromas and flavours, nuttiness, creaminess, bakery notes, butteriness, funk.

Some makers have played heavily with reduction in Chardonnay often resulting in flinty, burnt match characters.

In Burgundy, climate change, just as in Australia (along with mature vineyards) has seen picking times bought forward with sugar levels maintaining. The degree of chaptalisation in Burgundy is reducing and is often not required at all.

Check out all the articles in the Wine Bites Mag exploring Chardonnay.

Filters & Sorting

Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru 'Vaulorent' 2019
This Climat is almost an extension of the slopes where the Grands Crus grow, with only a small path separating them. Sitting directly alongside Les Preuses, the proximity to its illustrious neighbours results in powerful, mineral wines.This could be from nowhere else but Chablis with its equally cool, elegant and airy aromas of white-fleshed fruit, floral, iodine and subtle passion fruit-scanted nose. The super-sleek, refined and energetic medium weight flavors possess both ample mineral
$160
$155ea in any 3+
$150ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Domaine Guillemot-Michel Viré-Clessé 'Charleston' 2019
Wow! Initially a little spritz that swirled of quickly, the protective nature of dissolved CO2 goes some way to explaining why this wine looks younger than the “2020 Retour a Terre”.  Bottling with a little CO2 is a sign that they see this as a wine for the longer haul. It is obsolete to repeat many of Kelley’s remarks. It’s clear that the fruit is exceptional, the mid-palate weight, always a sign of quality Chardonnay, is impressive, along with the flow, shape and texture. Incred
$160
$153ea in any 3+
$146ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Jean-Paul et Benôit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2022
A slightly cooler if still ripe nose reflects notes of white pepper, plenty of citrus influence and discreet shellfish nuances. Here too the palate impression of the middleweight flavors is one of richness and generosity yet the supporting acidity is both a little firmer and a bit brighter as well. This delicious effort could use better depth but more should reasonably develop with a few years of aging. Allen Meadows, Burghound 90-92 Points
$160
$153ea in any 3+
$146ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Jean-Paul et Benôit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin 2022
A slightly riper if still agreeably fresh nose freely offer up its array of white and yellow orchard fruit, citrus rind, apple and tidal pool hints. The palate impression of the medium weight flavors possesses more volume still with a lovely sense of richness and minerality that adds a sense of lift to the very dry but not really austere finale. A few years of cellaring should see this drinking well. Allen Meadows, Burghound 89-92 Points
$160
$153ea in any 3+
$146ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Moreau-Naudet Chablis 1er Cru 'Vaillons' 2022
On the left bank of Le Serein and on the middle of the slope, Vaillons is a particularly well-positioned Premier Cru that enjoys an excellent reputation thanks to the work of several key growers. The domaine works with vines planted in 1974 in the lieux-dits of Les Epinottes (a cooler part of the vineyard) and Roncières (which provides more opulence). Then, a parcel of 75-year-old vines in Sécher usually accounts for 30% of the blend and provides intense mineral cut and structure. The wine wa
$164
$157ea in any 3+
$150ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Moreau-Naudet Chablis 1er Cru 'Beauregard' 2022
The most south-westerly of all the Chablis Premiers Crus, Les Beauregards is one of its coolest due to its altitude and location at the end of Chablis’ Left Bank. It’s also one of the steepest (meaning the clay soils are shallow, and the limestone marl is never far from the surface) and one of the highest, rising to 300 metres. While this parcel has been in the family’s hands for decades, it was replanted in 2001 with mass-selection cuttings from Stéphane Moreau’s most treasured vine
$164
$157ea in any 3+
$150ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru 'Les Clos' HALF 2019
This is the largest and most famous Grand Cru; its fame based on its history as one of Chablis’ first vineyards. The appellation enjoys a southerly aspect with very white, dense and deep clay soil, resting on a limestone bed 80 cm below the ground, which brings to the wine those spicy notes so typical of this terroir.Note: from 4 separate parcels totaling 4.11 ha, 3 of which are all at the top of the slope. If Kimmeridgian could be distilled, it would likely smell exactly like the nos
$168
$163ea in any 3+
$158ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Jean-Paul et Benôit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet 2022
This is also quite smoky in character with its nose of citrus confit, pear, apple and ocean breeze scents. The generously proportioned but quite punchy medium-bodied flavors possess a lovely texture while exuding evident minerality on the sappy, balanced, complex and solidly persistent finale. Allen Meadows, Burghound 90-93 Points
$173
$166ea in any 3+
$159ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Jean-Paul et Benôit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2022
Prominent notes of mineral reduction and just picked white flowers suffuse the aromas of tidal pool, algae and zest. The rich but vibrant medium weight flavors possess even more obvious minerality that seems to become more obvious on the cool, firm and delineated finish that is clean, dry, citrusy and sneaky long. Lovely. Allen Meadows, Burghound 90-93 Points
$173
$166ea in any 3+
$159ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Passopisciaro Contrada 'PC' Chardonnay 2021
Nice little bit of funk and complexity with citrus oils lifting from the glass. The step up in quality of fruit from the Passobianco is significant and justifies the step up in price. Focused and vertical with excellent mid-palate weight. Those citrus oils translate from nose to palate. The élévage here is very good with a harmony from the careful exposure to oxygen during maturation.From just a few terrraces with very deep soil. The yields here are lowered to ⅓ of capable at 5 bunc
$176
$169ea in any 3+
$162ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Jean-Paul et Benôit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu 2022
A ripe ever-so-vaguely exotic nose is comprised by notes of cool green apple, oyster shell and lemon rind. There is both excellent volume and mid-palate density to the intense and solidly powerful larger-bodied flavors that possess impeccable balance and fine depth on the harmonious, long and more complex finale. This is excellent and should age accordingly. Allen Meadows, Burghound 91-94 Points
$180
$173ea in any 3+
$166ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Domaine Bessin-Tremblay Chablis 1er Cru 'Fourchaume La Pièce au Comte' 2022
Named after the aristocrat who was once the landlord of this parcel, La Pièce au Comte was the Tremblays’ first vineyard holding in Chablis. Covering a single hectare, it lies in the heart of Fourchaume, and until 2014, its oldest vines were 80 years old (having been planted in 1934). These vines have since been replanted with mass-selection cuttings, although the remainder still date from the 1950s. Romain Bessin explains that the vines here suffer from court-noué, which causes a decline
$186
$179ea in any 3+
$172ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info