Around the village of Chardonnay in Burgundy, France, is where Chardonnay originated. For the longest time it was thought to be a mutation of Pinot Noir so it would often be called Pinot Chardonnay. Well, it turns out that this belief was not far from being correct. In the 1990's, DNA testing found that Chardonnay is a natural cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. Gouais Blanc was brought to France from Croatia by the Romans when it was popular, but it's not really used anymore. To give you an idea of when Chardonnay became its own grape, they believe it was first planted in Chablis (within Burgundy) in the 12th century by Cistercian monks.
With very, very rare exceptions, the white wine from Burgundy is 100% Chardonnay. Traditionally it will have the name of the village or appellation on the label instead of Chardonnay (but more and more producers are starting to include the grape name as well). For example, Chablis is Chardonnay from the Burgundian village of Chablis, unless it's American jug wine. In that case it's usually a blend of a bunch of stuff.
(This article was written for GrapeBunch, our weekly wine periodical. Click here to read the original!)
Chardonnay is considered a "neutral" grape, meaning it's not as aromatic as other grape varieties and the final product is highly influenced by where it is grown and the decisions made during winemaking. So even in Burgundy you will see varying styles of Chardonnay. Chablis is crisp and unoaked, while Meursault is rich and aged in oak. From Burgundy it went to Champagne, where its acidity is an important part of making Champagne sparking wine.
This all makes Chardonnay a "winemaker's wine", and why it is planted everywhere that wine is made. But that really didn't happen until very recently. Once they realized its potential in California in the 1970's, it took off and started to take on Chenin Blanc as the most popular white wine varietal in the United States. And then it conquered the world. Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Italy, Bulgaria, England, everywhere.
There are so many factors that go into making a Chardonnay what it is. Chardonnay from cooler climates are citrusy, brighter, and more acidic than warm climate Chardonnay. The warmer climate ones are full-bodied and feature a tropical fruit profile.
But then there's the winemaking factor, such as malolactic fermentation, and the container where the alcohol is fermented and where it's aged. Unoaked Chardonnay can still be aged (usually with the lees, AKA dead yeast), but usually in steel tanks or concrete. You can imagine how those would taste different. Then there's oak fermenting and/or oak aging. Is it in new oak barrels or used oak barrels? And we can't forget about malolactic fermentation, which is a process that converts malic acid to lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation creates the butter in those buttery Chards.
I am somebody who is in love with every style of Chardonnay, while many tend to find the style that they like and stick to it. And that is great; wine is about your own enjoyment so drink what you like! I totally have my favorite Chardonnay producers like Grgich and Scott Family, but for me the fun is trying one you have never had before. "What's this next one going to be like???"
Noble Vines took vine stock from the best places in France for that variety and grew them in the best places for that variety in the Central Coast. Noble Vines 446 Chardonnay from Monterey County has traces of pineapple, yellow peach and vanilla leading into a creamy mid-palate with flavors of mango, kiwi and hints of lemon zest and cinnamon butter. Pairing: Chicken alfredo.
Joey Casco
Beverage Marketer
Certified Specialist of Wine
Certified Specialist of Spirits
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