How it's become responsible for the greatest names in white wine
CHARDONNAY is the most important white (wine) grape.
It is responsible for the greatest names in white wine, such as Meursault, Chablis, Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne and Pouilly-Fuissè.
These white wines of Burgundy are made entirely from Chardonnay. They are capable of extensive ageing and continue to improve inside the bottle for many years. Some of the great vintages are awesome even at 50 years old.
Chardonnay also plays a crucial role in the greatest Champagnes in the world.
The usual Brut Champagne contains three kinds of grapes namely Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Some excellent Champagnes are made entirely from Chardonnay and these bear the name "Blanc de Blancs" on the label, the most notable is from the legendary producer, Salon.
France is not the only country that succeeded in exploiting the versatility of Chardonnay. California, Australia, South Africa, Chile and Italy have jumped on the band wagon to produce excellent Chardonnay varietal wines.
Chardonnay is quite easy to grow and its yield is good. It is planted almost everywhere in the world.
However the grapes are small, thin-skinned and fragile so harvesting must be gentle and that means a bit more in labor cost.
What makes Chardonnay the king of white grapes is the fact that no matter where it is grown, at the optimal point of ripeness it always manages to achieve uncanny balance between sugar and acidity.
However, sloppy growers can ruin that by waiting beyond the point of optimal ripeness to harvest. Chardonnay grapes will lose acidity rapidly and the resulting wines lack vigor and taste dull and flat.
Chardonnay grape is high in extract, which means there is a lot of flavorful stuff to squeeze out of each grape.
Given enough hang-time it produces good acid levels, something that is crucial to white wine.
Click here to read Part 2
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Source: Wine Lesson No 8: Everything About Chardonnay (Part 1/2)
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