September is the beginning of meteorological fall in the northern hemisphere, so what better grape to focus on than one that has had quite a dramatic “fall”? This month let’s focus on the much maligned Chardonnay. It’s a grape with a noble history, producing great wines in Burgundy and Champagne. Somehow it then became the poster child for the modern wine caricature, over-oaked, often sweet and smelling more like a bucket of movie theater popcorn than a great white wine.
Well, there is more to Chardonnay than KJ, Yellow Tail and the cougar-est of them all, Rombauer. Chardonnay is seeing a revival in California of all places, where a new wave of producers is making bright, focused and site-evocative wine that warms a wine enthusiast’s heart. Producers such as Ceritas, Rhys, Arnot-Roberts make some of the new benchmarks. The wines are largely available via mailing list, and often run a pretty penny, but they are not the only ones reviving Chardonnay’s reputation. Au Bon Climat is making a fine Chardonnay, and doing it for around twenty bucks.
On the European side there are still some troubles for Chardonnay. Burgundian producers are still trying to solve a mystery of premature oxidation that has plagued White Burgundy since the 1995 vintage. Some are changing winemaking methods, while others are trying different corks. Whether anything fixes the problem unfortunately remains to be seen. Then there is the weather, and devastating hail that hit the 2016 Chardonnay crop in Chablis. If it’s not one thing it’s another. Thankfully for Chablis there is the fabulous 2014 vintage to enjoy now.
Has it been a while since you have opened or even purchased a bottle of Chardonnay? Step up and try one this month. There’s a whole world to choose from. It’s not all what you remember from the “Anything But Chardonnay” movement.
(Thanks to David for this excellent intro. I'm off to get some Chardonnay now!)
Transparent pale gold color. Attractive if a bit simple, typical Chardonnay scent of green apples. Fresh and tart in flavor, green apple and bright, steely acidity. It continues clean, brisk and dry, adding a bit of nuance, subtle notes of "stony" minerality appearing as it crosses the palate. Not a highly complex wine, but it's appealing and a good match with food. U.S. importer: Vintner Select, Mason, Ohio. (Sept. 1, 2016)
Tasted in a restaurant setting with a variety of dishes (see below), this simple but appealing Chardonnay served well. The surprise is that while it does offer a touch of oak, a decided whiff of aromatic tropical fruit, a creamy mouthfeel and doesn't go strong on acidity, it relies on balance and reasonable restraint to sail safely through these rocky waters and avoid the shoals that used to make so many of us say "Anything but Chardonnay." (Aug. 31, 2016)
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