Originally from Burgundy, the Chardonnay grape variety is perhaps the most famous white grape in existence. In fact, it can be simply described as the world’s best-known grape.
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Easy to grow and produce, Chardonnay is an early ripening variety characterized by its relatively high alcohol content and medium acidity.
Widespread and grown across the world, when grown in warm climates, Chardonnay usually produces wines with a rich texture and tropical notes. On the other hand, when grown in cool climates, it produces more acidic and tense wines. In both cases, it is common for the wines to undergo a period of aging in oak barrels.
Chardonnay is the most appreciated popular and widespread white variety in the world. The native of Burgundy (France) has adapted with good results in very different climates as already stated. Chardonnay is the preferred strain for the production of dry white wines, its characteristics can vary from rich and thick wines, suitable for aging in the bottle, to lighter and fresher wines made without wood and intended to be drunk young. It is the key grape variety of the famous Chablis and is one of the varieties used to make Champagne.
Flavors: Chardonnay wine is long in the mouth, has no hard extremes or an aggressive acidity. It presents a wide range of flavors which are defined by apples, citrus fruits, melon, pears, honey, wax, caramel, and minerals among the most recognized.
It generally gives off a great variety of aromas, including citrus, apple and stone fruit. Malolactic fermentation gives notes of cream, butter, and nuts. If it also aged in wood, it will also give off notes of baked bread, nuts, and cereals.
The Facts:
Chardonnay Grape: The Most Widely Planted White Grape Variety In The World:
This grape variety grows very quickly and does not give much trouble; it is the self-sufficient child that all parents want to have. Being so adaptive and grateful, it is planted all over the world with joy.
If you love Chardonnay wine, try Pinot Grigio, learn about it here!
The undisputed queen of Burgundy:
Chardonnay is the queen of one of the world’s most prestigious wine regions, Burgundy. It’s one of the varieties that make up the champagne blend, so it’s more glamorous than the Hollywood stars of the’ 50s.
Some Of The World’s Most Expensive Wines Are Made With The Chardonnay Grape:
Some expensive wines such as Montrachet de Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Krug Clos du Mesnil, Marcassin Chardonnay are made with Chardonnay grapes.
A Versatile Grape:
It is planted on all continents because it adapts to different climates. The queen of Darwin’s natural selection is a pure winner. Depending on the climate and the soil in which it is planted, it has a different expression. For example, in Chablis, where the weather is cold, it produces delicate and deep wines. In contrast, the heat of California gives Chardonnay produced there more body and volume.
Pairs Well With Cuisine:
Wine made from the Chardonnay grape has great versatility, making it highly valued gastronomically speaking because it adapts to different styles of cooking and dishes. As it depends so much on the place and its way of elaboration, the culinary combination it gives is very ample.
A Brand Of Her Own:
Everyone knows and loves her, like a famous actress. Being a quality grape with such amazing and diverse possibilities, she is constantly referred too. With it’s name on bold in bottles and cases, like an advertisement to sell more; Chardonnay is effective in its branding.
It Has Hardly Any Synonyms:
Unlike other grape varieties, the Chardonnay grape has practically no synonyms. Consequently, they do not change the name depending on where it is planted. Some of them do, of course, but they are very few and far between. The best known is that of Morillon in Austria.
It Ages Well In A Barrel:
Being a variety that is not known for its floral or vegetable notes has created good synergy with oak. Many of the best Chardonnay womes on the planet are aged in oak for 6 to 12 months, with batonnage and even malolactic fermentation in it. Malolactic fermentation is the process by which the grape transforms malic acid into lactic acid, reducing acidity in the wine. This type of fermentation in the barrel for white wines gives them aromas of milk and pastries, very pleasant with density and body to the palate.
Spanish Might Be Her Second Language:
Found abundantly in regions such as Navarre, Penedés, Costers del Segre, and Somontano. Of course, in each of these areas, it gives different notes and results. But Chardonnay might have adapted to Spain, as well as it did in its home in France.
Amazing Aromatic Notes:
It generally gives off a great variety of aromas, including citrus, apple and stone fruit. Malolactic fermentation gives notes of cream, butter, and nuts. If it also aged in wood, it will also give off notes of baked bread, nuts, and cereals.
Conclusion
It is a green-skinned grape variety that produces white wines all over the world. This strain comes from Burgundy, in the eastern part of France. It is considered the best area for growing Chardonnay in the world. Nowadays, it grows in many wine regions around the world. The most popular regions for the cultivation of this variety are Burgundy, Spain, California, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Lombardy (Italy), among many others. The types of chardonnay that are made in the world range from very acidic and fruity to creamy and full-bodied, or fruity.
The world’s most renowned regions for this variety are found in their country of birth, France – In particular, Chablis and Côte de Beaune. It is a wine whose price varies depending on where it is made, and how it is made. You can purchase bottles of chardonnay at very low cost and others valued in the hundreds of dollars.
There is a trend of “smoked chardonnay” in the United States. It consists of taking these wines to aging in wood so that they acquire aromas and more complex structure. They are the chardonnays that are often found with aromas of butter, pastries, spices, and nuts.
The Chardonnay grape is incredibly versatile. It produces amazing and unique wines.