Chardonnay

The Chardonnay vine was once thought to have originated in Syria, arriving in Europe with returning soldiers during the Crusades.  Until a few years ago, evidence pointed toward a very ancient ancestry descending from wild vines without any relative among major contemporary varieties.

In the early 1990s, research conducted by plant geneticist Carole Meredith at the University of California at Davis revealed a common heritage between Chardonnay and a number of other grape varieties indigenous to northern France, most notably the members of the Pinot family.

Based on DNA typing, she concluded that an original Pinot prototype and an obscure vine called Gouais Blanc are the parents of Chardonnay and fifteen other Gallic varieties, including Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir.

One of the most widely-planted fine wine grapes in the world, Chardonnay’s acreage in California outdistances that in France by better than four to three.  It is a conciliatory, reliable, hardy and potentially prolific vine whose only real vulnerabilities are to frost and uneven development of the fruit.

The vine ripens early and thrives in varied soils and climates, from warm to temperate central California to northern France’s coolest regions of Champagne and Burgundy.  It does require well-drained soils, and excessive heat can jeopardize acidity.  Overcropping also results, as with most vines, in bland, neutral wines, but Chardonnay manages to retain some character in such a case better than most varieties.

Though it faithfully retains its varietal stamp, Chardonnay strongly reflects other factors such as soil profile and vinification techniques.  California’s loam soils and even climate tend to yield ripe, tropical fruit scented wines, whereas the classic lean, minerally quality of Chablis is a direct reflection of a cool climate and austere, chalky soils.  In the Côte d’Or’s chalky clay, the wines are more rounded and elegant, with structure, complexity and longevity.

Winemaking decisions, such as malolactic fermentation, wherein some or all of the tart malic acid is transformed into softer lactic acid, position the wine on the crisp-to-fat spectrum.  “Bâtonnage,” or periodically stirring the lees through the wine, increases complexity and creaminess of texture.

Oak fermentation and/or aging, if and how they are applied, situates the wine between a clean, purely fruit-driven personality and a rich, toast and vanilla-scented one.  These all overlie a basic, subtle flavor profile of white fruits, melon, hazelnuts and a touch of citrus.  Chardonnay is planted virtually everywhere in the world where it is warm enough for the fruit to ripen.