
Chardonnay
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. 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 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 would likely enjoy this lighter style.
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Kendall-Jackson Great Estates Monterey Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Central Coast, California
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- W&S
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Franciscan Estate Cuvee Sauvage Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Sonoma County, California
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Clos LaChance Napa Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from California
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Beaulieu Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay (half-bottle) 2000Chardonnay from Carneros, California
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Hogue Fruit Forward Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Columbia Valley, Washington
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Pegasus Bay Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from New Zealand
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Chateau Souverain Sonoma County Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Sonoma County, California
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Chalk Hill Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Sonoma County, California
- WE
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Beaulieu Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Carneros, California
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Frei Brothers Reserve Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Sonoma County, California
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- WE
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Brancott Gisborne Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Gisborne, New Zealand
- WS
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Hartford Court Lauras Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Carneros, California
- WE
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Markham Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Napa Valley, California
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Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Sonoma County, California
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- WE
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Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Chile
- WE
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Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Vineyard Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Columbia Valley, Washington
- WS
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Tarapaca Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Chile
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Chateau St. Jean Robert Young Vineyard Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Sonoma County, California
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- RP
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Eola Hills Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Columbia Crest Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Columbia Valley, Washington
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- WS
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Meridian Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Central Coast, California
- WS
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Brancott Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from New Zealand
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Santa Rita Reserva Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Chile
- WS
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KWV Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from South Africa
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Wolf Blass Chardonnay 2000Chardonnay from Australia
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- WS