8 Important Facts about Chardonnay

1.  Popularity

Although many think that Chardonnay wine consumption peaked in the early 1990’s, that isn’t true internationally.  In spite of the ABC (“anything but Chardonnay”) movement that began prior to the millennium, Chardonnay today is the second most planted white wine grape in the world.  (Airén, a varietal from Spain, is numero uno).  Among all wine grapes, Chardonnay ranks 5th in the vineyards across the globe.

2.  Origin

DNA research has unveiled that Chardonnay is a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc.   The Romans are thought to have brought Gouais Blanc from Croatia to Burgundy.  Pinot Noir, thought to actually be indigenous to Burgundy, mixed in the vineyard with Gouais and birthed Chardonnay centuries ago.

3. Old World versus New World

Burgundy is the epitome of the traditional old world style Chardonnay:  think less is more.  In Burgundy there is little (if any) new oak used, less manipulation (e.g. pumping over, punching down, fining), less alcohol, less fruit, and more minerality. Burgundy’s lean and mineral-laced Chablis is a classic example of old world style Char.

In contrast, new world Chars don’t follow centuries of European wine-making tradition.  New world winemakers push the envelope with riper fruit (leading to bolder, more fruit-forward aromas and tastes, as well as higher alcohol levels).   They also use techniques such as punching down and pumping over more often to extract more flavor.  New world Chars are also typically vinified using some new oak barrels.

4.  Oak

There are two other distinct styles of Chardonnay:  those aged in oak barrels or wine aged in stainless steel.  Many American Chars are oaked, and their degrees can range from a light use of oak to the full-on version of oak.  Several consider oaky Chars to have more layers of complexity.  Oak with Char translates to flavors ranging from vanilla, to toasted nuts or even crème brûlée.   On the other hand, for some the unoaked Chardonnay is viewed as the more pristine of the two.

5. Aromas & Flavors

Chardonnay’s profile is dependent upon several factors.  Obviously oak is a factor, as is the ripeness of the grapes.  In cooler climates where fruit is less ripe, one can expect Chars to lean toward a lemon profile with green apple notes.  Warmer weather Chardonnays are tropical often with aromas and flavors of pineapple and mangoes.   Moderate climates bring pear, peach and apricots flavors.

Buttery can be another descriptor of Chardonnay’s flavor.  This component comes from Malo-Lactic fermentation (often shortened to “ML”).   ML is a chemical process that winemakers can use to soften the acidity of wines such as Chardonnay.  In the process of softening, ML used with Char adds a butter-like flavor along with a velvet-like, creamy textures to the wine.

6.  Sparkling Wine

Chardonnay, one of the three grapes allowed by law in Champagne, is used all over the world to also make bubbly wine.  If Blanc de Blanc appears on the label, this means that the wine is 100% Chardonnay.

7.  World’s Best Chardonnay?

That is totally subjective depending upon what style appeals to you.  Oaked?  Unoaked?  Old World?  New World?  Cool climate or warm?  While I like them all, I tend to lean more toward the slightly oaked versions of both old world and new.  For example, I just returned from Burgundy where I tasted some jaw-dropping white Burgundies (all, of course, are made from the Chardonnay grape).   One of my favorites was the Cuverie of the Hospice de Beaune’s 2018 Bâtard-Montrachet (barrel-tasted), but I also loved Drouhin’s 2016 Corton Charlemagne.   Here in California I am a raving fan of Dehlinger and Merry Edwards’ renditions.  Again, the best is in the eyes of the beholder.

8.  Food Pairing

One size does not fit all when pairing Chardonnay with food.  Chardonnay, as discussed above, comes in many different styles and the type of Char must be addressed when pairing it with food.  Here are some general guidelines:

• Unoaked Chardonnay pairs best with delicate foods such as simply prepared seafood, fish or chicken.  

• Moderately oaked Chardonnay can work with richer foods such as lighter cream sauces.

• Fully oaked Chars can take on foods that have an extra degree of richness such as pasta with a heavy cream sauce, lobster or scallops in a cream sauce, and meats served with a cream sauce.  Also rich cheeses and even foie gras can work with these big Chars.

• Try to match flavors in the Chardonnay with those in the food.  For example, if you have a warm climate Chardonnay with rich tropical flavors, use similar flavors in the food to complement the wine (e.g. a mango-infused sauce).  Or, play to ripe Chardonnay’s impression of sweetness by serving it with ingredients such as corn, butternut squash or sweet potatoes, as well as foods that are carmelized.

• Last, foods that don’t work well with Chardonnay include any type of tomato sauce or spicy dishes.

White & Red Burgundy

Burgundy is a tiny wine district just 200 miles south of Paris.  Producing a mere two or three percent of France’s total wine, this small region is a behemoth among oenophiles.   Indeed, Burgundy has a hugely loyal following among the world’s most serious wine lovers.  And, both the white and the red are at the pinnacle for many wine aficianados.

Chardonnay is the most widely planted grape in Burgundy, accounting for about half of the total grape production.  If it’s a white Burgundian wine, it is Chardonnay (the only exception is a small production of a very simple white wine made from the Aligoté grape which is often used in Burgundy’s sparkling wine production).  White Burgundies are for many the Holy Grail, however, few can afford the astronomical prices.   In an article on The Top 5 Most Expensive White Wines in the World, a walloping four of them were white Burgundies.  They ranged in price from $5,923 to a mere $1,257 a bottle.

White Burgundy has a cult following.   These Chardonnays, unlike many others in the New World, have a complex minerality.   As all of Burgundy was an ancient inland seabed 70 million years ago, the petrified remains of sea creatures in these resulting limestone soils, can greatly influence the wine’s mineral-like nuances.  Moreover, Burgundy’s Chardonnay is very different from the warmer climate Chardonnay of places like California.  White Burgundy is all about austerity with high acidity and subtle citrus and apple flavors and aromas.  Warm climate Chars tend to be more New World in style: malolactic fermentation (to soften the acidity), oak influences of vanilla and butter, along with ripe fruit flavors like pineapple and tropical fruits.

Red Burgundies are no slouch by any means.  Like their white counterparts, they are also made entirely from just one grape.  If it’s a Red Burgundy, it was made from Pinot Noir.  Also, like White Burgundy, Red Burgundy has achieved rock-star status among the world’s connoisseurs.  By the way:  Pinot Noir never appears on any bottle of wine in Burgundy.  That’s because people know that if it’s red and made in Burgundy, it can only be Pinot Noir.  (The same for Chardonnay…you will never see the varietal’s name anywhere on the Burgundian bottle). 

Like White Burgundy, Red Burgundy is more restrained in its style when compared to the New World Pinots.  Burgundian Pinot is about elegance and subtlety.  In contrast, New World Pinots are all about the fruit (which, by the way, is usually fully ripe which accounts for their more fruit-forward flavors and high alcohols.)  Red Burgundies are prized by serious wine-lovers for these differences.

Wine-Knows has just two spots available on its trip to Burgundy this June.  Come learn about both White and Red Burgundies at their birthplace at some of the region’s super-star producers.   http://www.wineknowstravel.com/burgundy-champagne/

A White Christmas…with a White Burgundy

The Burgundy region of France is home to some of the most hedonistic wines on planet earth.  White Burgundies (as well as Red Burgundies) have long had a cult following.   As Burgundy produces only 2% of France’s total wine, the old adage of supply and demand can really wreak havoc on Burgundian prices.  If there’s one day during the year, however, that people should pull out their White Burgundy gems, it's Christmas.

White Burgundy is made exclusively from the Chardonnay grape.  Chardonnay actually originated in Burgundy.  DNA testing shows that Chardonnay is a mix between Pinot Noir (Burgundy’s red grape) and Gouais Blanc.  Somewhere, somehow, Pinot and Gouais crossed in the vineyard and Chardonnay was born as  their offspring.

Many wine connoisseurs believe that Burgundy’s whites are the pinnacle of any Chardonnay on the globe.  One author in a recent article went so far as to call Burgundian white as the “crack cocaine of all Chardonnay.”   While the analogy may be a turn-off, the point is well-taken in that white Burgundy can be addictive.   Once you’ve had it, you crave more.

So what makes Burgundy’s Chardonnay so very special?   It can be summed up in one word:  terroir.  While there is no literally translation for this French word, terroir refers to the many factors that can effect a wine (e.g. climate, topography, and soil). Burgundy’s mineral-laden soils exert a tremendous effect.  White Burgundies are known for their minerality, in the aromas as well as on the palate.

The best vineyards in all of Burgundy were mapped out centuries ago by monks who learned by trial and error which plots of consistently earth produced the best  Chardonnays for the church’s cellar.  Today, these very vineyards have been given Grand Cru status by the French government.  It’s these Grand Crus that have the real cult-following.  And, it’s your Grand Crus that should be brought out for a celebration such as Christmas dinner.

Here are five Grand Cru Burgundies that ought to knock off both Santa’s and Rudolph’s socks (listed in alpha order):

     ~ Comtes Lafon, Montrachet Grand Cru
     ~ Drouhin, Clos des Mouches Grand Cru
     ~ Louis Jadot, Les Demoiselles Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
     ~ Olivier Leflaive, Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru
     ~ William Fevre, Valmur Chablis Grand Cru

If you have a desire to learn more about Burgundy’s Grand Cru Chardonnays, check out Wine-Knows 2019 trip to both Burgundy & Champagne:   www.WineKnowsTravel.com.

Have a white and a very Merry Christmas.

A Burgundy Primer

                       Burgundy's Cote D'Or is home to some of the priciest cult wines on earth

Many serious wine lovers believe that some of the world’s greatest wines come from Burgundy.   Others would argue that Bordeaux is the pinnacle.  I don’t think you can compare the two.  Burgundy’s production is miniscule;  Bordeaux’s is mammoth.  Burgundy is boutique producers;  Bordeaux is large-scale chateaux.  Burgundy’s wines are quietly elegant;  Bordeaux’s are bold and massively-structured.  

History

The famous Cluny Abbey played an important role in Burgundy 

The Catholic monks, abbeys, and the monasteries have played an enormous role in shaping Burgundy’s wine history.  From 900 A.D., the clergy were actively involved in not only making and selling wine, but actually developing the notion of terroir (soil, microclimate, slant of the hill, drainage, wind, environmental pests, etc.).  Early on they learned that different plots of earth made consistently different wines.  

    Centuries ago monks surrounded vineyards with special characteristic with walls               

The monks mapped out an intricately complex quilt of vineyards throughout Burgundy which today are the basis for the region's Cru’s.  They built walls around each plot.  Wall in French is “clos,” thus many of Burgundy’s vineyards begin with the word “clos.”

Location

                                           In French Burgundy is known as Bourgogne

Burgundy begins just 120 miles south of Paris.   The actual wine part of the region is a long, narrow area that runs about 150 miles in length.  Burgundy is composed of these five distinct sub-districts (north to south):

1)    Chablis

2)    Cote D’Or

3)    Cote Chalonaise

4)    Maconnaise

5)    Beaujolais

Two Great Grapes of Burgundy

Reds in Burgundy are made from Pinot Noir (the only exception is Beaujolais which uses the Gamay grape).  Difficult to grow, fickle Pinot Noir thrives in a narrow band of soil and climate parameters.  Red Burgundy is mecca for many oenophiles.  In fact, many in-the-know consumers feel that Pinot Noir is at its very best in Burgundy.

White Burgundy is made a 100% from the Chardonnay grape.  The Chardonnay varietal is actually is native to the Burgundian region of France.  While Chardonnay is a now a universal grape, white Burgundies are some of the most divine wines on planet earth---complex layers with a long finish.

Burgundy is Terroir-Driven

Every plot of earth has been painstaking rated for the quality of its terroir

Unlike Bordeaux where the pecking order is established by a chateau’s land holdings, Burgundy’s hierarchy is purely terroir based.   For example, Mouton Rothchild in Bordeaux owns many parcels in different parts of the huge wine region.  All of them may be used in the making Rothschild's wine as Bordeaux wines are all about blending.  In Burgundy, vineyards have been carefully mapped out into very small plots based on their unique terroir.   In contrast to Bordeaux, Burgundy "Cru" cannot be blended as their intent is to showcase the specific single vineyard and its terroir.

Stay tuned for future articles on Burgundy, including Pinots and Chardonnays that won’t break your bank, pairing Burgundy's wine with foods, and many other favorite experiences of mine awaiting you in Burgundy.

Got Gruner?

                        Wine-Knows will be staying in this fairy-tale Danube village on its 2018 trip

I’m just home from a whirlwind trip to Austria & Hungary----a “reconnaissance” for the 2018 Wine-Knows’ harvest trip to these two countries.  While I had visited Austria and Hungary some years ago, profound changes have occurred in the countries, including changes in their wine industry.  What hasn’t changed in Austria, however, is that many of its wine districts continue to be Gruner-centric. 

Gruner Veltliner is flat-out a spectacular varietal.  While it has long been a favorite choice of many fine-dining sommeliers, this white grape could become the next Holy Grail of the wine world.  Blind tastings of “Gruner” by international experts have shown that Gruner can outrank top white Burgundies such as Montrachet and Corton Charlemagne.  In fact, professional tasters often mistake top Gruners for white Burgundy (Chardonnay).

One out of every three vines in Austria is Gruner Veltliner.  The grape has a long history in the country as the Romans were vinifying it shortly after the birth of Christ.  It achieves rock-star status, however, in the region of the Danube River on steep, gravel terraces.  Gruner is a beautiful melding of minerality, along with a profusion of seductive peach and nectarine in best vintages with beautifully ripe grapes.  But, in years of less sunshine, Gruner’s citrus mélange mixed with gentle spices also makes an attractive wine.  Regardless of vintage, the varietal offer gorgeous acidity to make for a gorgeously balanced wine.

Got Guner?   If not, you must search out the following which were my favorites on the trip that are available in the USA.  All are family owned and operated wineries.  Each represents a superb quality – price ratio, with Muller being a steal for the price.  All are from Austria's castle-dotted northern Danube area just west of Vienna where Gruner reaches its pinnacle.

Listed in alpha order:

~  Bernard Ott:  Stein and Rosenberg (both 2015)

~  Hirtzberger:  Axpoint (2015)

~  Muller:  Kremser Kogl (2015)

~  Salomon Undorf:  Pfaffenberg (2015)