Five Wine Regions of the World to Discover Chardonnay

Thanks to its incredible ability to grow and flourish in different soil types and climates, 100% Chardonnay wines, whether from Burgundy or South Africa, are not alike. This is an ideal opportunity to do a horizontal tasting to understand how this grape variety expresses itself on different terroirs. Burgundy is the cradle of Chardonnay and a visit to this region is a must to understand and appreciate this grape variety. This famous French wine region reserves the vast majority of its vineyards for Chardonnay, which has expressed itself wonderfully for centuries. The Burgundy vineyards have become a flagship in the cultivation and vinification of Chardonnay. Today, this noble grape variety grows everywhere around the world, and winegrowers are inspired by the techniques of Burgundian winegrowers to produce their greatest wines. Thus, one finds everywhere, from America to Oceania, single-varietal Chardonnay wines vinified in the Burgundy style.

Burgundy is divided into three wine regions and each produces 100% Chardonnay wines with their own characteristics. The Côte d'Or, with its many appellations, clos and monopoles, produces some of the best Burgundy wines, with well-balanced, complex cuvées that can be kept for over 10 years. The techniques used in the Côte d'Or are those that have conquered many overseas winemakers as well. These include fermentation in oak barrels, ageing in barrels for 6 to 9 months, malolactic fermentation and ageing on lees. These techniques, mastered by the Burgundy wine producers, have proved their worth as they have enabled the production of prestigious appellations such as Meursault and Puligny Montrachet. These two AOCs are ideally situated on plots of land, which benefit from optimal exposure to the sun, and are considered to be the world's elite Chardonnays!

Chardonnay can be grown in California at all levels of quality and can produce a wide range of wines, from very high quality to large volumes. The Central Valley, located inland, is cut off from any maritime influence and thus produces wines with medium acidity and a peachy flavour as a result of the warm, dry climate. The Carneros, Sonoma, Santa Barbara and Napa Valley regions are cooled by ocean or river breezes.

Sonoma Valley is one of the wine regions in California that produces wines that honour the Chardonnay grape. Its climate is warm, yet the breeze from the Pacific Ocean helps preserve the acidity of the grapes, while developing complex fruit flavours. This climatic balance of warmth and oceanic coolness provides a unique range of aromas to the wines, from the green apple and citrus nuances typical of cooler climate Chardonnays to the exotic fruit aromas typical of warmer climates.

Australia, a large country in Oceania, is a world-renowned producer of Chardonnay. This grape variety thrives in the country's different wine regions. While the wines from the South Eastern Australia are often the result of a blend of Chardonnay and grapes from cooler regions, to ensure balance, the McLaren Vale, located in the Adelaide Hills region, produces absolutely magnificent single-varietal Chardonnay wines! Indeed, this region of South Australia benefits from a freshness brought both by the altitude of the plots and by the sea breeze due to the proximity of the Gulf of Saint Vincent. This breeze contributes to the lengthening of the vegetative cycle of the vine, which results in medium to full-bodied wines, marked by aromas of ripe exotic fruits and stone fruits.

Marlborough is a wine region in the north east of the South Island, renowned for its white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes. This part of the country is actually the most important in terms of viticulture, as it has an ideal climate for growing vines, including Chardonnay. The cool temperate climate with strong oceanic influences, characterised by sea breezes and abundant rainfall, brings a sublime freshness to the grapes. Chardonnay expresses itself very well in this type of climate, revealing sublime aromas centred on fresh fruit, notably peach and apricot. A bouquet of white flowers such as jasmine and acacia also mingle with the fruity aromas, ending on a sometimes honeyed finish.

The Walker Bay vineyard in South Africa is located in one of the coolest coastal regions of the country. It is on plots that are perfectly exposed to the strong sea breezes, that the Chardonnay expresses itself at its best. Walker Bay wines have a high acidity, revealed through stone fruit aromas such as peach, but also through the expression of exotic fruits like pineapple. This palette of aromas is thus diversified by the duality between the characteristics of cooler climates, combined with those of warmer climates.