CHARDONNAY

A great affinity for oak barrels

Chardonnay

Also called Morillon Blanc or Pinot Chardonnay. Born from the cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais (white grape variety), it enjoys a special position in Burgundy (since it appeared around the 18th century). It is nearly the only variety found in Burgundy white wines, which include the illustrious appellations of Chablis, Meursault, Pouilly Fuissé, Montrachet, Corton Charlemagne. No less prestigious, the Champagne region is composed of nearly 30% Chardonnay, where it is blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, or vinified alone (Blanc de Blancs). It thus gives dry white wines, sparkling and rarer sweet white wines.

It has conquered the world thanks to its ability to adapt to all soils and climates, making it the most widely planted quality white grape variety in the world. The terroir imbues itself dramatically in the wine glass and the grape variety produces absolutely remarkable, elegant, light and fine wines with a delicate aroma of lime blossom and toasted almond flavours.

WHERE IS IT FOUND?
In France and all over the world

FRANCE

Burgundy, Champagne, Jura, Loire Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon

WORLDWIDE

United States, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Austria, Germany, Switzerland...

MAIN APPELLATIONS
By type of wine: White and sparkling

Chablis, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Pouilly-Fuissé, Corton-Charlemagne

Champagne, Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Limoux, Crémant du Jura, Crémant de Loire

SHALL WE TASTE?
In the glass

dry whites

Cool climates (Chablis, Switzerland, New Zealand): Lively and mineral wines, supple and fleshy. Mineral (flint, chalk, iodine) and very floral (linden, acacia, honeysuckle, verbena). Complex flavours revealing maturity: notes of brioche, roasted almonds and hazelnuts, butter, honey and vanilla, depending on the vinification in barrels.

Warm climates (Languedoc, California, Chile...): More colourful and richer wines with more opulent aromas (pear, apple, banana...) and exotic fruits (mango, pineapple, citrus fruits...) Fattier in texture, especially if the passage in barrel reveals its vanilla notes. Rich and fleshy wines that are generous.

SPARKLING

Regional Crémants: Loire Valley, Burgundy, Alsace and Jura where it is vinified alone or blended with Savagnin. Grape variety appreciated for the delicacy of its flavours and its natural liveliness prevailing with the bubbles. Combined with Pinot Noir in Burgundy and Chenin in the Loire Valley, it brings the same aromas as in still wine.

Champagne : Combined with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this delicate and demanding grape variety invigorates the cuvées by its minerality. Vinified on its own as a Blanc de Blancs, these Champagnes are fresh, chiseled and of great finesse. With maturity, the aromas evolve towards notes of stewed fruit, gingerbread and quince paste.

FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS
Chardonnay, a versatile variety

dry whites

Cool climates (Chablis, Switzerland, New Zealand): Shellfish, shellfish, sea fish, sushi, sashimi, green vegetables, fresh cheeses.

Warm climates (Languedoc, Chile...): Shellfish and seafood (scallops, lobster, crab, lobster, octopus...), fatty fish with butter sauce, white meats (chicken, veal, pork), fruity and powerful cheeses.

SPARKLING

Regional Crémants and Champagne blanc de blancs: Ideal as an aperitif. Tapas with certain herbs to be preferred: rose berries, basil, coriander, ginger, jasmine, sorrel, rosemary, saffron, sesame.

Accompanies starters based on shellfish, seafood oysters, scallops and river fish (spider crab, caviar, prawns, sea bass, sea bream, salmon) or vegetables (asparagus, avocado, celery, fennel, artichoke). Cheeses: Burrata, fiore sardo, young gouda with cumin, queso manchego, parmesan...

OUR CHARDONNAYS...

LEARN MORE
Chardonnay's peculiarities

Very widespread in France, occupying the 2nd rank of white grape varieties in terms of surface area, it has conquered the whole world with its formidable capacities of adaptation whatever the climate.

Chardonnay is truly the star of white wines around the world. It is sometimes blended with other grape varieties, but it gives its best results as a single variety, as in Burgundy.

Fineness of flavours and liveliness, this grape variety can offer the most prestigious wines. This grape variety has an affinity for oak. There are woody cuvées aged in barrels, while other cuvées that have not been in contact with wood will thrive more on their floral aromas.

It is a wine for laying down and can be aged in oak barrels and for a long time in the bottle. Depending on the terroir and vinification techniques, this variety gives rich and varied aromas, the most characteristic of which are toasted bread, almonds, citrus fruits, butter, honey and, in the best conditions, a mineral touch ranging from wet stone to flint.

Elsewhere in the world, having proved its worth, Chardonnay was for a long time vinified as a single grape variety, to the detriment of the diversification of the cultivation of other grape varieties. This trend was reversed in the 2000s to the delight of connoisseurs eager for bold experiments in viticulture and winemaking.

Wines from around the world, single-variety or not, the pleasure is to have them tasted blind. Because discovering wine by grape variety is an excellent way of approaching soils and climates... especially with Chardonnay, which reveals the terroir, whatever it is, in complete transparency.

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