
Chardonnay Wine
Learn about Chardonnay — taste profile, popular regions and more ...
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While practically every country in the wine producing world grows it, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples of Chardonnay wine. As far as cellar potential, white Burgundy rivals the world’s other age-worthy whites like Riesling or botrytized Semillon. California is Chardonnay’s second most important home, where both oaky, buttery Chardonnay styles and leaner, European-inspired wines enjoy great popularity. Oregon, Australia and South America are also significant producers of Chardonnay.
Tasting Notes for Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a dry, white wine. When Chardonnay grapes are planted on cool sites, the resulting wine's flavors tend towards grapefruit, lemon zest, green apple, celery leaf and wet flint, while warmer locations coax out richer, more tropical flavors of melon, peach and pineapple. Oak can add notes of vanilla, coconut and spice, while malolactic fermentation imparts a soft and creamy texture.
Perfect Food Pairings for Chardonnay
Chardonnay is as versatile at the table as it is in the vineyard. The crisp, clean, Chablis-like styles go well with flaky white fish with herbs, scallops, turkey breast and soft cheeses. Richer Chardonnays marry well with lobster, crab, salmon, roasted chicken and creamy sauces.
Sommelier Secrets for Chardonnay
Since the 1980s, big, oaky, buttery Chardonnays from California have enjoyed explosive popularity. More recently, the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, towards a clean, crisp style that rarely utilizes new oak. The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a similar bright and acid-driven style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay wine would likely enjoy this lighter style.
- Chardonnay13
- Godello1
- Other White Blends1
- Wine Enthusiast13
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate13
- James Suckling10
- Wine Spectator8
- Jeb Dunnuck8
- Wine & Spirits6
- Wilfred Wong of Wine.com5
- Vinous5
- Decanter3
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Eden Rift Estate Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Cienega Valley, Central Coast, California
- WW
- WE
- JD
- RP
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Roserock by Drouhin Oregon Eola-Amity Hills Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon
- D
- JS
- WE
- RP
- WS
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Hess Collection Panthera Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Russian River, Sonoma County, California
- RP
- WE
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Bergstrom Sigrid Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Oregon
- W&S
- JS
- WE
- RP
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Bethel Heights Estate Grown Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon
- JS
- WE
- RP
- W&S
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Tyler Winery Bien Nacido W Block Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley, Central Coast, California
- RP
- D
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Freeman Ryo-Fu Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Russian River, Sonoma County, California
- JS
- RP
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Evening Land Seven Springs Vineyard Summum Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon
- V
- WS
- RP
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Mi Sueno Winery Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Carneros, California
- WE
- RP
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Sanford Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, Central Coast, California
- WE
- RP
- JD
- JS
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Gran Moraine Yamhill-Carlton Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Yamhill-Carlton District, Willamette Valley, Oregon
- JS
- RP
- WS
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Liquid Farm FOUR Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, Central Coast, California
- JD
- RP
- W&S
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Liquid Farm Golden Slope Chardonnay 2017Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, Central Coast, California
- JD
- RP