Chardonnay Flashcards
A way to add a creamy texture and savoury flavours to the wine is by
Stirring the lees (leftover dead yeast cells) through the wine
When they appear, dairy/butter flavours are the side effect of a process called
Malolactic fermentation (MLF)
Flavours of toast, vanilla, and coconut occur primarily because of this treatment
What is oak?
The three premium Chardonnay regions are
Chablis
Côte d’Or &
The Mâconnais
Wines made from grapes made throughout burgundy tend to be labelled
Bourgogne
Most Chardonnay produced in the Côte d’Or comes from the (northern/southern) half which is known as
Southern
Côte de Beaune
The most famous village wines produced in the Côte de Beaune are
Meursault &
Puligny-Montrachet
Chardonnay typical of the Chablis region normally has which of the following: High or low acidity Green fruit or tropical fruit Citrus or stone fruit Flint or petrol Smoke or butter
Oak flavours are or are not detectable in these wines
The bone-dry wines of Chablis tend to be high in acidity and austere, with green fruit and citrus notes. Many of the wines have a recognizable smokey, flinty, mineral signature. With every few exceptions, oak flavours are not detectable in these wines
Chardonnay produced in the Côte d’Or typically is described as
Full bodied and offering a complex succession of different flavours including citrus, white stone, and tropical fruit, oak, spice and savoury notes
Complexity and body in wines from Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet are typically achieved through the addition of this
Fermentation in small oak barrels and ageing them in contact with lees
Wine sold as Mâcon often exhibits characteristics described as
Light,
Fruity (melon/citrus) &
Little to no oak
Within the Mâcon, the most well known Chardonnay production region is
Pouilly-Fuissé
Pouilly-Fuissé is best characterized as being
Full bodied
Tropical fruit (pineapple/melon) &
Oak flavours
The three premium Chardonnay regions of Australia are
Yarra valley
Adelaide hills
Margaret river
Classic Australian Chardonnay style is best described as
Pronounced fruit (fresh citrus and oak) & Well integrated oak
Premium Chardonnay production in New Zealand typically comes from
Marlborough
New Zealand Chardonnay flavours can best be described as
High natural crisp acidity
Pronounced citrus & tropical fruit flavours
Mineral notes
Pronounced oak flavours
Premium Chardonnay areas in the USA are
Russian River
Sonoma
Carneros
California is often described as
Full bodied
Rich citrus and peach flavours
Heavy oak
South America premium Chardonnay production comes from
In Chile:
The Central Valley &
Casablanca Valley
In Argentina:
Mendoza
In Chile Chardonnay flavours are typically described as
Banana and melon flavour, enhanced by barrel fermentation & oak ageing
In Argentina, Chardonnay flavours are typically described as
Intense fruit flavours
Spicy oak characteristics
Premium Chardonnay production in South Africa typically comes from
Walker Bay
Chardonnay’s most classic example of blending with another wine is
Chardonnay-Semillon
A secondary grape sometimes used to blend with Chardonnay is
Viognier
Chardonnay-Viognier typically exhibits the following flavours
An oily texture
Full body &
Peachy, floral characteristics
