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.
Looking for a Chardonnay? Check these out. If there’s something else you want call us on 1300 811 066 or Request a Wine Here. We have access to an incredible array of tasty Chardonnay!
Check out all the Chardonnay Here!
Chardonnay | Meursault, Burgundy
“The 2022 Meursault
Clos du Cromin may lack a bit of bandwidth on the nose: quite strict citric fruit, a touch of grass clippings, and a bit closed on the day. The palate is well-balanced with good depth on the entry, orange rind, tangerine and grapefruit towards the long, if slightly attenuated, finish.”Neal Martin, Vinous 87-89 Points JM 90-92*Check out Patrick Javillier's Meursault Clos du Cromin too!
$274
$264ea in any 3+
$254ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | France, Burgundy
An airier and mildly cooler nose reflects notes of mineral reduction, white flowers and the hallmark citrus influences. The sleeker though not denser middleweight flavors possess a more refined mouthfeel as well as more evident minerality that seems to build on the bitter lemon-tinged,
dry and sneaky long finale. Lovely stuff and this generously proportioned effort should also reward up to a decade of keeping. Drink 2030+ ♥ OutstandingAllen Meadows, Burghound 91 Points WK 92-94
Chardonnay | France, Burgundy
A discreet application of wood suffuses the restrained and beautifully layered nose of mineral reduction, iodine, tidal pool, white orchard fruit and a vague hint of phenolic character. The super-sleek, dense and intense broad-shouldered flavors possess a palate etching mouthfeel while delivering simply remarkable length on the stony, austere and very dry finale that is akin to rolling small rocks around the mouth. The intensity really builds as it sits on the palate and overall, this beauty is
Simply Delicious
Chardonnay | Yarra Valley, Australia
Perfect intro to Hoddle's Creek Chardonnay! Cool Upper Yarra Valley Fruit = Wine of Poise & Great Intensity! Cool(ish) year, small yields. This is the best HCE Chardonnay I can recall tasting.White peach, green pear, a little citrus, fine spicy oak, almond, discreet struck match. It’s tight, but has flavour, plenty of flinty and chalky texture, ripe lemon and lemon peel, almond biscotti and green olive, firm crunch of pure acidity, and a long and racy finish that so mouth-watering and zest
Chardonnay | Victoria, Australia
This is the second wine we have made from this nearly 30 year old Macedon Ranges vineyard. The Glenhope vineyard is planted at 450m above sea level on the granite soil at the northern end of the region. The wine is made in the same way we make Bindi Chardonnays; destemmed berries go into the press and the juice is taken straight from the tray into the barrels, around 30% of which are new small French oak. The fermentation occurs without yeast addition and the wine remains on all lees for ten mon
$46
$43ea in any 3+
$40ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | Yarra Valley, Australia
The Willow Lake has excellent depth and length, with the acid to match the fruit intensity. It needs the most time to resolve of Adrian's 3 Chardonnays. When it does it is going to be freaky good. Australian Chardonnay just keeps getting better and better. Last year I was tasting a line of OK white Burgundy then moved onto A.Rodda's Chardonnays & BOOM! They're superb wines.The Willow Lake has excellent depth and length, with the acid to match the fruit intensity. It needs the most time t
$61
$58ea in any 3+
$55ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | France, Burgundy
Excellent
élévage calm, saline, beautiful core of delicate yet flavourful fruit white stone fruit a little citrus oil, a savoury twist all wrapped in a fine flowing texture with just the right amount of phenolic grip.Another example of a Petit Chablis pushing above its standing, a trend we’re seeing with the better producers.Certified organic. Defaix’s Chablis villages is drawn from four parcels of mature, 30-plus-year-old vines situated around Milly and Poinchy, on the left bank
$63
$60ea in any 3+
$57ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | Chablis, France
Showing exactly how important vine age is! A step up, an extra zip of salty acid and that mid palate weight with excellent length. Florals, white stone fruit a little citrus pith and plenty of fun. That slight primary edge that disappeared as it opened revealing excellent depth and length with restraint. A little more complexity. Mid palate texture is excellent. Hazelnuts and an extra layer of pleasure here. Excellent.
$67
$64ea in any 3+
$61ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | France, Burgundy
The pedigree of this fruit at the Chablis level is pretty bloody good! It's from a 50 year old parcel adjacent to the Grand Cru, Blanchot!
Bloody tasty Village. Beautifully weighted and developed. Often at this level Chablis can be thin and raw. Testut here, as with all his wines shows a deft touch in raise the wine and building generosity. A wine that can be hoovered now, it’ll drink well over the next few years. Great flow across your palate, fine, sophisticated, perfect everyday drinking
$67
$64ea in any 3+
$61ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | France, Burgundy
A richer more immediately generous iteration than the 2021 yet with a delicacy and elegance. Perfumed fruit ripe gold apple a little lemon oil at play and a salty pop.
Delicous long fine, supple. Excellent texture, line and length, impressive élévage and that all important mid-palate weight. Complexed by the long slow ferment and time on lees.
Great drinking.
$68
$65ea in any 3+
$62ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | France, Burgundy
“Here is the only wine that with 100% stainless-steel for all vinification and elevage. All from Lignorelles. That’s a very friendly nose – slightly round and faintly caramel despite tank elevage – an inviting sweetness. A little touch of green in the flavours but also lots of energy and citrus
bitters. Very engaging, tasty wine. Long too.”
Bill Nanson
$69
$66ea in any 3+
$63ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | France, Burgundy
“All the domaine’s wines are vinified parcel by parcel – this comes from a single parcel in Lignorelles but a big parcel of 5ha and it’s the biggest cuvée of the domaine. Here starting to see a proportion of older barrels for elevage. A similar roundness and sweet invitation to drink. Mouth- filling, silky – here is a super wine for drinking today! The finish is pure and full of energy – again with lovely citrus-skin complexity. That’s really excellent.”
Bill Nanson
$71
$68ea in any 3+
$65ea in any 6+
Stunning!
Chardonnay | Tasmania, Australia
Stunning. The texture here is divine. Refined with a delicacy to the long seamless line of acid. Superb flavour profile of ripe lemons & citrus oil, white nectarine, a little green apple, light honey, nutty wild ferment / solids with supple creaminess. Such great drinking.
$72
$69ea in any 3+
$66ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | France, Burgundy
This is very good. Defaix has given us a restrained, detailed expression of Chablis. Mineral with juicy fruit, citrus, and most importantly loads of personality. The fruit drive is impressive, balanced by lightning energy and zippy acid. The mouthfeel is superb, long and refined with great length. A build in depth and length a little more fine saline acid keeping it fresh and mouthwatering.
Cleverly built up layer after layer with fruit savoury pops élévage that sees it resolved, together
$72
$69ea in any 3+
$66ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | Yarra Valley, Australia
"A wine of subtlety and composure, our 2019 Chardonnay is a wine of real presence. Cool, elegant floral aromas with notes of nectarine, citrus blossom and struck match, develop to offer generosity and richness, with hints of white peach, hazelnut and oatmeal biscuit. The palate is initially lively, creamy and citrus-driven, leading to a lovely touch of pithiness framing the subtle nectarine and lemon curd fruit, and a long, savoury finish. A wine that offers immediate pleasure, but equally, one
$75
$72ea in any 3+
$69ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | Macedon, Australia
The 2021 has classic Kostas lemon, lime and grapefruit aromas mixed with spice, cream, chalk and blossom. It is fresh, racy, mouth filling, textured and very long. It will take 6+ years to mature.
Michael D
$75
$72ea in any 3+
$69ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | Pouilly-Fuisse, Burgundy
“There is a whiff of the exotic present on the petrol-tinged white and yellow orchard fruit scents. There is fine volume to the dense and rich flavors that possess plenty of dry extract on the delicious and sneaky long finish that is shaped by citrus-inflected acidity.”
Allen Meadows, Burghound 87-89
$75
$71ea in any 3+
$67ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | Victoria, Australia
This is a very fine Kostas Rind, coming from the volcanic soils over clay on the lower Bindi Chardonnay plantings from 1988. Destemmed berries go into the press and the juice is taken straight from the tray into the barrels, around 30% of which are new small French oak. The fermentation occurs without yeast addition and the wine remains on all lees for ten months until just prior to bottling. The 2023 is very fine and pure, with a vibrant lemon/grapefruit brightness complimented by almond meal,
$75
$72ea in any 3+
$69ea in any 6+
Producer and site … that is all!When your Bourgogne is made from vineyards in Meursault and Puligny it really does make a difference. Ballot-Millot has given us a beautifully balanced wine, with a wonderful texture. An excellent Bourgogne with great fresh flavours & a little funk. Drinking beautifully now and good for a few more years.Update Sept 2024: Drinking beautiful, in a great place. The above note still holds true with an added sense of seamless harmony."Ripe and ni
$83
$79ea in any 3+
$75ea in any 6+
Chardonnay | France, Burgundy
Showing exactly how important vine age is! A step up, an extra zip of salty acid and that mid palate weight with excellent length. Florals, white stone fruit a little citrus pith and plenty of fun. That slight primary edge that disappeared as it opened revealing excellent depth and length with restraint. A little more complexity. Mid palate texture is excellent. Hazelnuts and an extra layer of pleasure here. Excellent.
$83
$80ea in any 3+
$77ea in any 6+
Check out all the Chardonnay Here!
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