The National Wine
UnClub
Newsletter
A Time For Wine
(the first in a series of articles on wine varietals)
Chardonnay
Summer reigns supreme across the land as August arrives, and our thoughts turn toward family vacations, swimming holes, golfing excursions, fishing trips, or just plain hot weather laziness under a well-positioned A/C unit! It's the classic time for picnics with foods like cold cuts, chilled salads and soups, ceviche, and pasta primavera. This is the time of year that people generally drink more refreshing, chilled beverages rather than hot drinks; a time for ice-cold beer rather than a full-throttle Cabernet Sauvignon.
However there are many wines that function wonderfully well in the intensity of Summer's sun-splashed dominion. With this 'Dog Days of Summer' issue of the Wine UnClub Newsletter we decided to profile a few possibilities in this regard. We think you might be surprised at what's available and how fun the exploration process can be while discovering these wine-world gems.
This discussion could be in the 'ABC' (Anything But Chardonnay) vein primarily, but to be fair, we'll start by mentioning the world's finest lighter-styled Chardonnays, those wines with considerably lower strength than the 14+% alcohol seen so often in Californian/Australian versions, and those wines having little or no oak characteristics to speak of. These Chardonnays are typical in Europe, and most particularly in France's Burgundy region. Many people still don't know that a French white Burgundy is almost always made with the Chardonnay grape (there are a handful of Pinot Blancs and the rare Aligoté under this appellation as well).
The most affordable and lightest style of white Burgundy Chardonnay comes from two areas in the region of Burgundy: the Maconnais (just north of Beaujolais) and Chablis (about 100 miles SE of Paris). Wine lovers have enjoyed Pouilly-Fuisse for many years which is a light to medium-bodied Maconnais white Burgundy. The name represents the towns nearby where the grapes are grown. Other wines to look for from this neighborhood include St. Veran, Pouilly-Loche, and Pouilly-Vinzelles. Simple Macon Blanc Villages (Lugny, Prissé, Charnay, Fuisse) are usually more affordable and can be just as satisfying sometimes.
Chardonnays from the Chablis district (around the village of Chablis) are ranked in order of vineyard excellence, starting with Petit Chablis, AOC Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru, and the lofty Chablis Grand Cru. Chablis almost never is aged in oak and it's known for crisp citrus and green apple flavors buttressed by a savory mineral tone most often described as either flinty or steely. Chablis and Maconnais Chardonnays are perfect summertime wines: clean, crisp, and perfectly refreshing.
By the way, many Chardonnays from other wine regions worldwide can emulate fine white Burgundy, usually at a fraction of the price. Look for South African Chardonnays like Fleur du Cap and De Wetshof, Argentinian Chardonnays like Trapiche and Catena, New Zealand versions like Martinborough, and the odd Italian version from Tuscany particularly. Even the Chardonnays from the south of France (Vin de Pays d'Oc, Limoux, Ardeche, etc.) can provide the lively, unencumbered taste we're seeking here.
What we are referring to with the lean, slightly austere, Chardonnay styles mentioned above is just a brief profile of the most simple version of what's possible with this remarkable varietal. While we Americans are more used to the strongly flavored (sometimes through the use of additional sugars and acids) wines of California especially, Chardonnay performs beautifully well in the unwooded form, and can be just as palate-cleansing as other well-known lighter-styled whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
Next month we'll explore in greater detail these other two whites just mentioned; both perfectly suited to hot weather wine-sipping. In the meantime, have fun with your wine discovery process. We hope you'll seek out some of the Chardonnays we've profiled here as we believe you haven't really come to know Chardonnay until you've experienced the original version!
Cheers!
Donald W. White