Chardonnay is the "Big Daddy" of white wine grapes and one of the most
widely planted in the world. It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it
excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is
Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich,
honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are
unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a
crucial role in the Champagne blend,
providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted
in Chile and South Africa, and
is now the most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay
has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of
ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common
problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and
definition. Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more
elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be
welcomed.
Registered company 05492886. BB&R Limited, trading as Berry Bros & Rudd,
3 St James's Street, London, SW1A 1EG.
All rights reserved. You must be 18 or over to order.