Chardonnay

The most unique factor in determining the taste of a wine is the grape variety from which it is made. This series looks at each of the major grape varieties and assesses wines made all over the world from that variety. The focus of the series is primarily on flavour and quality. Each volume includes background information on the grape variety and advice on the best way to buy, store and serve the wines from it. A gazetteer lists the main wines made from the variety in Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, and elsewhere. A special feature of this series is the individual ratings given for quality, price and best recent vintages. Chardonnay is best known as the classic white grape variety of Burgundy, but in recent years it has also been much sought after by the winemakers of California. In Australia too, acres of vineyards are being grafted over to this grape. What explains Chardonnay's success? It is, the author argues, one of the most amenable and pliable of vines, easy to grow and also easy to mould into a variety of wine styles, using different techniques of fermentation and types of oak barrel.
The originals of these styles are to be found in the grape's homeland Burgundy. Chablis still sets the standard for steely, elegant Chardonnay, oaked or unoaked; the Cote d'Or produces wines with a classic balance of richness and acidity, while easier-drinking styles are found in the Maconnais. But New World Chardonnays, especially the ripe, oaky examples from Australia, are becoming ever more popular, and the best from California, Italy and Spain are matching the French for refinement and subtlety. This volume provides a guide to the many different styles of Chardonnay, including those from sources as unlikely and diverse as Holland, China and Mexico.