Wine Styles - Chardonnay

Question 1

Chablis Growing Environment

Answer 1

• Cool continental climate
• Prone to spring frosts and summer hailstorms
• Therefore vineyard location is critical
• Best vines on the south facing slopes ⇒ more direct sunlight, better circulation of air (less rot), better soil.
• Slopes allow better ripening whilst maintaining natural acidity
• Soil is marl and limestone charaterised by fossilised oyster shells ⇒ minerality

Question 2

Grand / 1er Cru Chablis Tasting Note

Answer 2

Clear Pale Lemon

Intensity: Med

Aromas: green apple, pear, grapefruit, lemon, quince, chalk, saline, oyster shell, wet stone

Dry / Acidity - High / ABV - Med / Body - Med / Intensity - Med to Med+

Finish: Med to Long

Not usually treated with oak & limited MLF

Question 3

Cote de Beane

Answer 3

• Best vines on South or east facing slopes
• Soil is varied but on the mid slopes where the 1er / grand crus are it is shallow & drains well
• Aloxe-Corton / Mersault / Puligny-Montrachet / Chassagne-Montrachet
• Complex and expressive, often oaked and MLF

Question 4

Cote de Beane Tasting note

Answer 4

Clear medium lemon to gold if aged

Intensity: Med- to Med

Aromas: yellow apple, lemon, pear, white blossom, wet stone, cream, brioche, bread, lime, mushroom, toast, sometimes tropical fruit.

Dry / Acidity - High / ABV - Med / Body - Med+ / Intensity - Med+

Finish: Med+

Question 5

Cote Chalonnaise & Maconnais

Answer 5

• Chalonnaise not as highly regarded. Higher altitide. Montagny best known for Chardonnay
• Maconnais - Richest, ripest style. Best examples from Pouilly-Fuisse & St Veran. Ampitheatre like bowl with east & south east aspects captures the sunlight
• MLF & matured in oak ⇒ more body, texture, toast oak
• Ripe tropical fruits

Question 6

Australian Chardonnay Growing environmant

Answer 6

• Produced all over Australia
• Inexpensive examples are ripe, stone & tropical fruit, oaked with staves or chips & possibly blended from different regions
• Better examples - YV, Tas, Adelaide Hills, Mornington.
  
  • Higher acidity, purity of fruit, citrus & stone fruit

Question 7

California Chardonnay

Answer 7

• Most planted variety - know in the past for big, buttery, oaky, high ABV wines
• Central Valley - Inexpensive, high volume, med-low acidity, fruity, toasty from oak chips or staves
• High quality, more elegant Chardonnay produced in cooler regions:
  
  • Los Carneros, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Santa Maria Valley & Monterrey
• All are influenced by either fogs from ocean or San Pablo bay and/or cool winds from California Ocean Current

Question 8

Chilean Chardonnay

Answer 8

• High quality chardonnay made in the cooler vineyard sites of:
  
  • Casablanca, San Antonio Valleys - lie between the coastal mountains and ocean (humbolt coil currents) causing morning fogs & cooling afternoon winds
  • Limari Lalley - influenced by ocean & cooling Andes breezes