Chardonnay
One of the most popular and widely planted white grapes in the world, Chardonnay produces some of the world’s most iconic white and sparkling wines. The grape is the hallmark of many New World regions, yet its spiritual home is in France. There, it produces some of the most sought-after and long-lived white wines in Burgundy as well as transcendent sparkling wines in Champagne.
The vine performs well in a variety of climates, ranging from cool regions like Chablis in Burgundy to warm ones like the Barossa Valley in Australia. Chardonnay is an early-budding variety, which can pose issues in cooler climates that are prone to spring frosts. It can also lose its acidity rather quickly towards the tail end of ripening before harvest.
Chardonnay can stand up to a number of production methods, from unoaked to barrel-fermented to barrel-aged. Many examples also show the use of malolactic fermentation, which converts the grape’s sharp malic acid into softer, more buttery lactic acid.
The flavors of Chardonnay can range from apple, citrus and flint in cool climates to peach, melon and tropical fruit in moderate to warm climates. Versions that see time in oak can display tones like vanilla and toast, and those that undergo malolactic fermentation are typically creamy in feel and buttery in flavor.
Burgundy
Chardonnay has become synonymous with Burgundy and is the main white grape used throughout the region. To the north, in the cool climate of Chablis, the wines are citrusy and apple-driven, with a pronounced flinty or stony element. Chablis wines are either completely unoaked and matured in stainless steel tanks or aged in neutral oak, which imparts very little flavor.
Farther south in the Côte d’Or, which is comprised of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, the wines become fuller in body and toasty, often spending more time in newer oak barrels.
The Côte de Beaune is home to some of the world’s most iconic communes for Chardonnay: Bâtard-Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. South of the Côte d’Or is the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais, where the best value Burgundies can be found from an array of village-designated appellations.
Champagne
Chardonnay is one of the main grapes used in the sparkling wines of Champagne, alongside the red grapes Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. While it can be blended into the final cuvée with the other grapes of the region, Chardonnay is the sole grape used in bottles labeled blanc de blancs.
California
Chardonnay is the most widely planted white-wine grape in the state, with regions like Napa Valley and Sonoma County producing high-quality, premium bottlings. The style is generally very rich and heady in American or French oak compared to their Old World counterparts. Nuanced, mineral-driven examples can be found in more coastal regions like the Sonoma Coast. Chardonnay is also widely planted in the Central Coast, including the regions of Monterey, Sta. Rita Hills and the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Global Production
Chardonnay has a broad reach across the world. It can be found in the sparkling wines of Franciacorta in Northern Italy and the still wines of Styria in Austria, where it is called Morillon. It has found a foothold in New York State, contributing to both still and sparkling wines in the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Long Island wine regions. Both Oregon and Washington also produce bottlings, typically in an unctuous, oaked style.
In the southern hemisphere, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Chile all produce quality offerings that offer the full gamut of price point and style. Are you looking for a Chardonnay to remember? Explore our extensive Chardonnay wine reviews. Our expert tasters rate and review thousands of options to make it easy to select a wine you’ll enjoy.
Synonym: Morillon
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Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils 2004 En Remilly Premier Cru (Saint-Aubin)
BurgundyAll white Burgundy should aim for the balance as this wine. It ...See Full ReviewN/A -
Louis Jadot 2004 Beaune Grèves Le Clos Blanc Premier Cru (Beaune)
BurgundyThis is in a delicate style, typical of whites from Beaune, a ...See Full Review$52 -
Domaine Patrick Javillier 2004 Cuvée Oliogocène (Bourgogne)
BurgundyA wine from vineyard on the edge of Meursault. The soil is ...See Full ReviewN/A -
Joseph Drouhin 2004 Clos des Mouches (Beaune)
BurgundyA delicate wine which seems - at least at this stage in ...See Full Review$70 -
Louis Latour 2004 La Grande Roche Premier Cru (Montagny)
BurgundyThis is an elegant wine, dominated by green fruit and vanilla, smooth ...See Full Review$22 -
Giant Steps 2021 Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay (Yarra Valley)
VictoriaFrom one of the Yarra's most renowned vineyards, on steep loam and ...See Full Review$65 -
Giant Steps 2021 Wombat Creek Vineyard Chardonnay (Yarra Valley)
VictoriaFrom the highest-altitude vineyard in the Yarra on volcanic loam soils, Wombat ...See Full Review$65 -
Donum 2020 Single-Vineyard Year of the Rat Chardonnay (Carneros)
Napa-SonomaIn this wine, an engaging, toasty, nutty aroma leads to poached pear, ...See Full Review$75 -
Franchetti–Passopisciaro 2020 Contrada PC Chardonnay (Terre Siciliane)
Sicily & SardiniaThe nose of this Passopisciaro Sicilian cru Chardonnay impresses immediately with a ...See Full Review$90 -
Punt Road 2021 Napoleone Vineyard Chardonnay (Yarra Valley)
VictoriaGive this a little aeration in glass and don't drink it too ...See Full Review$26 -
Pellegrini 2018 Olivet Lane Vineyard Estate Bottled Chardonnay (Russian River Valley)
SonomaHazelnut and white-chocolate aromas lead to ripe, buttery, poached pear and yellow ...See Full Review$50 -
MacRostie 2020 Dale Ricci Vineyard Chardonnay (Carneros)
Napa-SonomaSuperrich and well oaked, this concentrated, layered and lush wine boasts well-developed ...See Full Review$48 -
MacRostie 2020 Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay (Carneros)
Napa-SonomaThis rich and mouthfilling wine offers ripe golden apple and Bosc pear ...See Full Review$48 -
Bravium 2021 Chardonnay (Russian River Valley)
SonomaCaramel apple aromas and butterscotch flavors lend a rich, indulgent expression to ...Editors’ ChoiceSee Full Review$23 -
Franchetti–Passopisciaro 2020 Passobianco Chardonnay (Terre Siciliane)
Sicily & SardiniaNotes of reduction immediately delight on the nose of this Sicilian Chardonnay, ...See Full Review$37 -
Kendall-Jackson 2020 Stature Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County)
Central CoastLively aromas of citrus peel, lemon blossom and grapefruit flesh entertain the ...See Full Review$80 -
Joyce 2021 Submarine Canyon Chardonnay (Arroyo Seco)
Central CoastClean aromas of apple, ripe melon and almost-sweet cucumber converge on the ...See Full Review$28 -
Amor Fati 2020 Murmur Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Maria Valley)
Central CoastDelicate yet focused aromas of lemon peel, tart apple and earthy white ...See Full Review$55 -
Scott Peterson 2021 ROX Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast)
SonomaPure, fresh apple, peach and pear flavors light up this warm and ...See Full Review$25 -
Gérard Bertrand 2020 Domaine de L'Aigle Chardonnay (Limoux)
Languedoc-RoussillonElegant and focused, this beautifully colored chardonnay offers subtle aromas of lemon ...See Full Review$30
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