Chardonnay

Question 1

Characteristics

Answer 1

Cool climate
* High acidity
* Light to medium body
* Flavours of green fruits (apple, pear), citrus fruits (lemon, lime), and wet stones

Moderate climate
* Medium to high acidity
* Medium to full body
* Flavours of lemon, stone fruits (peach), and tropical fruit (melon)

Warm climate
* Full body
* Medium acidity
* Flavours of stone fruit (peach) and troupical fruit (pineapple, banana)

• Can develop complex teriary flavours of hazelnut and mushroom when aging in a bottle

Question 2

Winemaking

Answer 2

• Maloactic conversion adds diary flavours (butter, cream) and soften acids
• Lees contact during maturation adds body and flavours of bread and biscuit
• Oak barrel fermentation adds body and flavours of smoke, vanilla, and coconut
• Some use oak chips/staves
• Some producers prefer inert vessels to avoid secondary flavours. The wines are labelled as unoaked/unwooded

Question 3

Burgundy, France

Regions

Answer 3

• Main white grape in Burgundy

Bourgogne AOC
* Can be grapes grown from anywhere in Burgundy
* Simple with apple and lemon characteristics
* High acidity

Chablis AOC
* Village appelation
* Cool climate
* Dry wines with high acidity
* Flavours of aple, lemon, and wet stones
* Premier Cru and Grand Cru are at hillsides facing south/south-east
* Frost limits the yields each year
* Producers prefer inert vessels to preserve delicacy of the cool climate fruit flavours

Côte d’Or
* Moderate climate
* Ripe fruit flavours (peach, melon)
* Chardonnay production is mainly at Côte de Beaune
* The villages of Meursault AOC and Puligny-Montrachet AOC produce very good and outstanding quality Chardonnays

Mâconnais
* A source of fruity and mostly unoaked Chardonnay
* Lemon, peach, melon flavours
* Mâcon AOC
* Pouilly-Fuissé AOC offers higher-quality wines with stone fruit and tropical fruit flavours

Question 4

South of France

Regions

Answer 4

• Warm climate
• High volumes wines using oak chips/staves
• Flavours of peach, pineapple, and banana
• IGP

Question 5

California, USA

Regions

Answer 5

Central valley
* High volume brands with no GI.
* Peach and pineapple flavours
* Medium acidity
* Medium body

Carneros
Cooled by fogs

Sonoma
Cooled by Pacific Ocean breezes

Napa Valley
* Warm climate
* Full body
* Pronounced tropical fruits flavours

Santa Barbara County
* High quality
* Cooled by sea breezes
* Wine styles are similar to Côte de Beaune
* Tropical fruit flavour
* Higher alcohol

Question 6

Oregon, USA

Regions

Answer 6

• Moderate climate
• High acidity
• Citrus fruit (lemon), tropical notes (melon)

Question 7

Australia

Regions

Answer 7

South Eastern Australia
* High-volume Chardonnays are labelled as South Eastern Australia
* Blended with Semillon

Adelaide Hills,Yarra Valley
* Adelaide Hills cools down by altitude
* Yarra Valley is cooled by ocen currents
* Ripe stone fruit flavours (peach), and tropical fruit (pineapple, banana)
* Medium to high acidity
* Blanced oak flavours

Margaret River
* High quality
* Wamr climate with cooling sea breezes
* Medium to full body
* Ripe stone fruit (peach) and tropical fruit (pineapple)

Question 8

New Zealand

Regions

Answer 8

Marlborough
* Cool to moderate climate
* Ripe lemon, peach, and melon flavours
* High acidity

Hawke’s Bay
* Moderate climate
* Chardonnay is the most widely planted white grape
* Full body
* High acidity
* Pronouced stone-fruit flavours

Question 9

Chile

Regions

Answer 9

Casablanca Valley
* Sea breezes and morning fogs
* Cirtrus (lemon) and stone fruit (peach) flavours

Central Valley
High valume brands

Question 10

South Africa

Regions

Answer 10

Western Cape
* High volume brands
* Blended with Chenin Blanc

Walker Bay
* Very good quality
* High acidity
* Ripe stone fruit (peach), tropical fruit (pineapple), and oak flavours