Chardonnay Flashcards
List the qualities of a cool climate Chardonnay.
- high acid
- green fruit (apple, pear)
- citrus fruit (lemon)
- vegetal (cucumber)
List the qualities of a moderate climate Chardonnay.
- citrus fruit
- stone fruit (peach)
- tropical fruit (melon
List the qualities of a warm climate Chardonnay.
-tropical fruit (banana, pineapple, peach, mango, fig)
Name three Chardonnay winemaking techniques.
- Malolactic fermentation
- Lees contact
- Use of oak
What is malolactic fermentation and what does it add to the wine?
- “secondary fermentation” that converts malic acid (malo - sour acid. e.g. sour green apples) to lactic acid (dairy, milk).
- softens harsh acids
- adds dairy flavors (butter, cream)
What is less contact and what does it add to the wine?
- Lees (dead yeast cells left behind after fermentation) can be stirred through the wine to:
1. add savory flavors (bread, yeast)
2. add creamy texture
How is oak used in winemaking? What does it add to the wine?
Techniques:
- age in oak
- ferment in oak
- add staves (small planks)
- add chips (large splinters)
Adds:
- toast
- vanilla
- coconut
Chablis
100% Chardonnay
“White Burgundy”
cool climate
- bone dry
- high acid
- austere
- green fruit
- citrus
- smoky, flinty
- mineral
- oak rarely detectable
Meursault & Puligny-Montrachet
100% Chardonnay
“White Burgundy”
Cote de Beaune (Cote d’Or)
moderate climate
- complex
- full body
- oak
- citrus fruit
- tropical fruit
- white stone
- spice
- fermented in small oak barrels
Macon (Macconais)
100% Chardonnay
“White Burgundy”
moderate climate
- large volume
- moderately priced
- light
- fruity (melon, citrus)
- little or no oak
Pouilly-Fuisse (Macconais)
100% Chardonnay
“White Burgundy”
moderate climate
steep, suntrapped slopes
- full body
- tropical fruit (pineapple, melon)
- oak
Australian Chardonnay
- Yarra Valley
- Adelaide Hills
- Margaret River
Classic style:
- fruit (fresh citrus, melon)
- well-integrated (oak)
Becoming more common:
- more restrained fruit
- little-to-no oak
New Zealand Chardonnay
-Marlborough
- high acid
- crisp
- tropical fruit
- mineral
- pronounced oak
California Chardonnay
-Russian River
-Sonoma
-Carneros
(cooled by breezes, morning mists: slows ripening)
-vary widely in style
-full body
-intense, rich citrus
-ripe peach
-heavily oaked
or
-savory (like Cote d’Or)
Chilean Chardonnay
-Casablanca
(cool sea breeze, morning mists: slows ripening)
- banana
- melon
- barrel fermentation
- oak aging