A FEW WORDS ON CHARDONNAY
Submitted by admin on Wed, 09/16/2009 - 10:17
in
From Michael Jordan, Master Sommelier & Certified Wine Educator
The noble Chardonnay grape is grown throughout the world and produces many styles of wine with lots of different flavors. Depending on the region of origin and treatment in the winery a fine chardonnay can be anywhere from steely, lean and tight with bracing acidity, lower alcohol, lots of minerality and the aroma of crushed seashells - to a rich, fat, higher alcohol wine with ripe fruit flavors, buttery aroma and creamy texture with vanilla, baking spices and caramel from the aging with oak contact. Oak is used by winemakers the way a great chef uses spices, to highlight and enhance the flavors if the grape.
The fruit flavors can range from the classic "apple-pear-citrus" style of cooler climates to the opulent ripe flavors of peach, pineapple and fig and even tropical fruit along with ripe or baked apples and citrus crème. The cooler the climate the more green apple and citrus the flavors, and higher the acidity. The warmer the riper and more exotic the fruit flavors going even towards mango and tangerine.
The level of acidity can range a well from medium to quite high. As a fine chardonnay ages, it can develop some beautiful honeyed notes and a nuttiness along with softer acidity and more complexity.
Michael J's Chardonnay picks for the week:
Lower priced:
Under $15.00
Hahn Family Winery, Monterey County
Bogle, Clarksburg
Sonoma Junction, Sonoma County
Cycles Gladiator, Central Coast
Under $20.00
Baileyana, Grand Firepeak Cuvee, Edna Valley
Ravenswood,
Handley Cellars
Navarro Vineyards, Anderson Valley
Beaulieu Vineyards, Carneros
Over $25.00
Ambullneo Vineyards, Santa Maria Valley
Williams & Selyem, (all their Chardonnays are great! - but my favorite is ) Allen Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Patz & Hall, Dutton Ranch, Russian River Valley
Ramey, Hudson Vineyard, Carneros
Littorai, Heintz Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Stonestreet, Upper Barn, Alexander Mountain
Cakebread Cellars, Napa Valley
Please don't forget the great wines of the Burgundy region in France, great wines of Chabils, the villages of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrechet and the great values from the Macon.
Cheers!
Michael Jordan, MS, CWE