September Wine Focus: Back to Basics with Chardonnay

[Robin Garr]

Oops, it's September already? This month we alternate back to a varietal study with Chardonnay, a grape that can be celebrated or maligned according to what you do with it. Gimme a white Burgundy and I'm happy. A fat, flabby, oaky rendition, not so much. Let's look for the best Chardonnays, and talk about the quest for QPR, which may not necessarily be the same thing, in this month's Wine Focus.

I am not a big Chardonnay drinker at all but I read elsewhere to look out for it from Oregon.
Hope we all avoid the cougar juice wines!! Oh by the way, hows Rombauer these days...LOL.
From my neck of the woods, should look for Mission Hill (Okanagan).

[David M. Bueker]

Going to a Chablis & Oyster tasting on Wednesday, and have a California Chardonnay lined up for Thursday at home.

I actually drink a lot more Chardonnay than I used to, largely because I drink Chablis, as well as the newer-wave California Chardonnays. Rhys and Kutch are two where I buy a lot more than I used to. I also buy and drink a lot of Ramey, due to the unhealthy influences of my parents.

Look forward to your notes David. Chablis is on the horizon here too.

Chardonnay produces some of the finest whites here in France but, if you look up "Chardonnay" in the index of three of France's top wine guides, you get no hits at all; the same goes for Sauvignon blanc, Chenin, etc. Here we go by appellation names such as Chablis, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Mâcon Villages, Pouilly-Fuissé, etc. In general, where "Chardonnay" figures prominently on a label, it is likely to be a relatively down-market wine from the south, but important exceptions to this are the Jura appellations where "Chardonnay" needs to appear on the label to distinguish the wine from one made in the same appellation from Savagnin. Chardonnay can make good wines in the south, e.g. in quite high altitude Limoux, but, IIRC, in that case "Chardonnay" does not appear on the label and the appellation rules don't help much because other grapes, such as Chenin, may be lurking in the wine.

Consumers in other continents may think that this aspect of French labelling is unhelpful from a marketing viewpoint, but I disagree because there are quite big differences in the taste profiles of the various French appellations using Chardonnay and because most of them are much more mineral and have higher acidity than the generic "Chardonnay" from other regions, notably the USA and Australia. Trying to market them as "Chardonnay" would risk confusing and disappointing most fans of generic Chard.

I have almost completely stopped drinking whites from the top Côte de Beaune appellations, Puligny & Chassagne-Montrachet, Meursault and Corton, because of their now inaccessible prices and tendency to be heavily oaked, which IMO requires substantial ageing, running a high risk of premox, to bring them into balance. That said, I have celestial memories of 10+ year old Chevalier and Bâtard-Montrachet and Meursault Genevrières, Charmes and Perrières from vintages prior to the prevalence of the pox. However, there is a lot of compensation in outlying Burgundy appellations, particularly Chablis where the wines can be supremely elegant, and in the Jura, but without quite the richness and complexity which the Côte de Beaune can achieve when well aged in favourable circumstances.

[David M. Bueker]

FWIW, the title for this month is in no way meant to exclude Chablis, St. Aubin, etc. We've been toggling back and forth between grapes and macro-regions all year. This month it's a grape.

[Jenise]

Hey, for a long time I was in the ABC club. But now I've reverted: I'm over being over chardonnay! I love the grape, and while yes I prefer Chablis and Puligny Montrachet especially and least like the ripe and sweet hot climate styles, I'm fairly agreeable to almost everything in between.

If there's something I avoid? Tends to be unoaked chardonnay. Not a fan of 100% new oak, but modest amounts and neutral oak have a complexity that I rarely find in unoaked versions. To my tastes, they're overly bright and simple. And they're usually cheap(er), which says that the winemaking aspirations aren't aiming at my kind of palate or pocketbook.

Had some this weekend I look forward to posting about.

[David M. Bueker]

FYI, Levi Dalton recently did a podcast with David Ramey. He talks a lot about his vinification practices for Chardonnay. It's very much well worth a listen...or two. Lots of information packed into an hour.

[Jenise]

Three of these were from the last few days (the OR's plus the NZ) but I'm including a California wine from the week before that I'd already posted about simply because of the stark contrast between three 2015 chardonnays from three very different places.

2016 Gran Moraine Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton Oregon
Tasted alongside the 2015 Lingua Franca AVNI below and also from Oregon. Very similar in color and intensity, but this was a tad less sweet and showed a lot more of that chalky limestone minerality. Both good, but this was the only one that resembled White Burgundy and was easily my preference between the two. Excellent plus.

2015 Lingua Franca AVNI, Dundee Hills Oregon
Pale yellow. Intense and nuanced with complex flavors and a balanced mouthfeel. Admirably restrained, doesn't show the ripeness of the vintage yet there's no mistaking it for anything but New World. Excellent.

2015 Bevan Cellars Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
24K gold color. Saturated flavors of brioche and apple cider, unctuously rich on the finish. Drinks more like a cocktail than wine--definitely not food friendly. I will never EVER buy a Bevan chardonnay again.

2015 Craggy Range Chardonnay Single Vineyard Kidnappers Vineyard Hawke's Bay
Pale yellow. Nose leads with apple, lemon meringue pie, and hints of matchstick and clove. More of same on the palate with a creamy, unsalted butter finish. An excellent blend of new and old world (Chablis) qualities. What a great value compared to the wines above--believe I paid in the low $20's for it. Excellent.

Jenise,

Interesting note about the Bevan. There are obvious exceptions, but I have found usually the more expensive a California Chardonnay is the less likely I will like it. One of my favorites from CA has always been Au Bon Climat's regular line which is usually around $20!

[David M. Bueker]

Yeah, Chardonnay is not Russell’s best suit. He’s a Cab/Merlot/Franc guy.

As for Chardonnay pricing, a few bottles of Rhys or Ramey can convert any skeptic.

[Jenise]

Jenise,

Interesting note about the Bevan. There are obvious exceptions, but I have found usually the more expensive a California Chardonnay is the less likely I will like it. One of my favorites from CA has always been Au Bon Climat's regular line which is usually around $20!

I haven't found that myself (Ceritas, Aubert, Ridge Montebello, Rhys and a few others come to mind), but one could certainly throw a dart and find a lot of guilty parties especially in the warmer vintages, which virtually all are these days. I think I am lucky in that most of my friends either buy the style I like or just buy cheaper chards--either way, I win. But re ABC--yeah! Bob and I ordered a bottle in a little restaurant in Kauai earlier this year and both had the damn-this-is-good-why-don't-aren't-we-buying-this reaction.

[Jenise]

Kasey, here's my note about that ABC in Hawaii:

2016 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Santa Barbara County
Nicely concentrated fruit reminding me of pineapple and tart Hawaiian apple banana with exemplary acidity and texture for a wine you can buy in supermarkets for only $20-22. Suspect it would earn better scores from others if it were harder to acquire and more expensive.

Going through my CT records, I see that I have consumed quite a few Chardonnay based wines this year to date, but all from Burgundy, Jura or Champagne. My TNs are shown below. I need to find some from other French regions or abroad to post on this month but it won’t be too easy here.


NV Champagne Lallier Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (8/11/2019)
I have been opening Champagne bottles for many years without losing any wine but this bottle was almost explosive and I lost close to a couple of glasses. This was reflected in a very prickly drink which no longer had the poise of the previous bottle. I wondered about calling it flawed but it was still drinkable.

2016 Rijckaert F.Rouve Arbois Arbois Haute Cuvée - France, Jura, Arbois (7/4/2019)
A delicious Jura Chard medium bodied, linear in shape, full of gracious white fruit, fine minerals and mouth-watering acidity leading to a saline finish. Drunk outside on a warm evening, it withstood inevitable warming without becoming flabby. Very good.

2016 Domaine Vocoret et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru (6/8/2019)
Very similar to the bottle of 18 months ago with perhaps a slightly more caressing texture but no significant loss of vigour, minerality and backbone. It showed itself very versatile with pairings revealing different facets with buttery oysters, sea bass and various cheeses both goat and cow. Very good.

2014 William Fèvre Petit Chablis - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Petit Chablis (5/25/2019)
Leaner and less fruity than Petit-Chablis Le Croux 2016, but still very enjoyable in a mineral vein with saline backbone. Good.

2016 Chanson Père & Fils Viré-Clessé - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Viré-Clessé (5/12/2019)
Medium bodied with nice minerality but not very interesting fruit.

2017 Domaine Trouillet Mâcon-Solutre - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon-Solutre (4/26/2019)
Not bone dry with a discreet honeyed undertow but enough fresh, mainly citrus, white fruit, minerals and acidity to produce a refreshing and very agreeable wine. I doubt whether there is much mileage in this wine but good right now.

NV Legras & Haas Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs - France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru (4/21/2019)
A very nice BdeB Champagne from Chouilly with livelier fruit and more structure than many without sacrificing minerality and biscuit notes. Very good.

2017 Domaine Trouillet Pouilly-Loché Les Mûres - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Loché (3/8/2019)
I was convinced that I had enjoyed and posted a TN on this wine but can find no trace of it nor of its purchase and consumption. I must be hallucinating but the wine was exactly what I thought I remembered - medium bodied with juicy white and citrus fruit, lively fine minerals, a slightly candied undertow and moreish acidity and backbone. Still a touch simplistic but very young so it should still develop. Good.

2016 Domaine Trouillet Pouilly-Fuissé - France, Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé (2/1/2019)
Even better than before with more depth and complexity. Furthermore it showed enough backbone to stand up to a cognac laced sauce accompanying Madagascar prawns and it revealed new honey tinged subtlety with Valençay goat cheese. Very good.

2016 William Fèvre Petit Chablis Le Crioux - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Petit Chablis (1/20/2019)
Though only "petit", this is IMO a model entry level Chablis. Medium/light bodied with aromas of white and citrus fruit infused with pebbles carrying forward from the nose onto the palate where moreish acidity and steely backbone are also present. Very good.

2016 Domaine du Vissoux / Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais Blanc Collonge - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais (1/5/2019)
Where have the iodine notes and savoury character gone? I wouldn't recognise this wine from my memory and previous TN. And it is better. More recognisably from Chardonnay with a delightful fragrance, minerality and gently saline backbone which paired beautifully with scallops and with goat cheese and even stood up to Stilton even though that combination is not ideal. Very good.

2016 Forgeron Cellars Chardonnay, Columbia Valley.. Never heard of these folks prior to our visit to Woodinville in June..They were recommended to us by staff at several other winery tasting rooms that we had visited..Fun place,friendly atmosphere..I love this wine, it is in a very good place right now and does not resemble any Cal Card or Long Island chard that I have ever tasted..Don't wanna compare to any of the Goodfellow chards that we tasted when we were in McMinnville as they were best wines we tasted on our trip in June (roughly 70 wines tasted) but the Forgeron chard really hit all the right notes last night..Not sure about its availability at retail, clearly available via drop-in at the tasting room or via wine club and mailing list.

[David M. Bueker]

Quick thoughts on five Domaine William Fèvre wines that were poured at a Chablis & Oysters tasting at my favorite wine shop last night.

2017 William Fèvre Chablis Domaine
Exactly what it should be – fresh, bright acid, very clean. It was actually more aromatic than I expected, with a lot of lemon zest and white flowers. This was perfect with a couple of Maine oysters from Nonesuch Oysters.

2015 William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume
Notably richer (2015 was a warm year), to the point of being a bit heavy for my palate. That said, it was still a nice match with the oysters.

2015 William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre
Also in a somewhat richer style, but this retained greater cut, feeling brighter on the palate than the Fourchaume. Long finish on this, which even on its own was distinctly salty. Brilliant with oysters.

2009 William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru Vaulorent
Another rich vintage, and also the first for Fèvre under the DIAM closure. This shows some hints of maturity (more complex palate presence), but has plenty of legs left. The DIAM-10 closure is doing its job very well to this point.

2012 William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses
Glad to taste this again, as I bought a bunch on release, but drank it all out of an abundance of caution. I should not have feared. Still has some crisp, lemony youthful tones, but the real key here is the depth and length of the wine.

It was a real treat to try the wines, and have them with the classic pairing.

Great notes, would be fun to have been there.

[Jenise]

So today I wanted a white wine to add to a brine for a roast chicken. I often have a little leftover wine or cheap but decent wine for cooking purposes on hand, but not today. So I stopped at a little gas station market that actually has a reasonable selection, and unfortunately chose this dreck:

2017 Carmenet Chardonnay California. Carmenet was once a Napa Valley winery, from what I could see the label got sold and they are now just a brand of the Fred Franzia variety. Heavy on the palate, disastrously tropical with unctuously rich and sweet mango, caramel, peach and heavily toasted oak. Like swallowing cough syrup. With guilt I remember liking wine this like early early in my career, but it couldn't be more dreadful to me now.

I was getting doggie supplies on the south side and noted a new wine store. Knew the owner who was pouring the 2016 Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay.. SA chards hard to find in my area, usually just come across Glen Carlou.
Medium straw colored, some oak on the nose and ``fresh cut straw`` from fellow taster. Medium bodied, fair acidity, good length, flinty and nutty finish. Not really a wine to get too excited about, think the Sauv Blanc would out perform.

[Jenise]

2016 Forgeron Cellars Chardonnay, Columbia Valley.. Never heard of these folks prior to our visit to Woodinville in June..They were recommended to us by staff at several other winery tasting rooms that we had visited..Fun place,friendly atmosphere..I love this wine, it is in a very good place right now and does not resemble any Cal Card or Long Island chard that I have ever tasted..Don't wanna compare to any of the Goodfellow chards that we tasted when we were in McMinnville as they were best wines we tasted on our trip in June (roughly 70 wines tasted) but the Forgeron chard really hit all the right notes last night..Not sure about its availability at retail, clearly available via drop-in at the tasting room or via wine club and mailing list.

Very well known here. They make several chardonnays, including an unoaked version that when compared to their main chardonnay makes you scratch your head about unoaked...but don't get me started. Excellent, nuanced and with great balance--and these days without the influence of American oak that affected some of their early wines.

[Jenise]

So within the last year I had two past vintages of Domaine Drouhin Oregon Arthur Chardonnay, both other people's bottles. '14 was what most of us here would consider a classic vintage, neither cool nor hot, and '15 was one of the hottest vintages yet. Yet DDO excelled in both. So well in fact that if you're me you go "So why don't I buy these?" and then you rectify that and buy some the next time they cross your path. And those would be the 16's. We opened one last night. Here are my earlier notes about the first two vintages to compare with the '16 we opened Sunday night.


2014 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur Dundee Hills
This could be my favorite American chardonnay. So perfectly balanced with the kind of minerality you really only find in White Burgundy.

2015 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur Dundee Hills
Served blind with two other OR chards. By far the best of the lot, bright and sophisticated, its Burgundian roots show. And only13.9% abv in such a hot vintage! I would definitely purchase.

2016 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Chardonnay Arthur Dundee Hills
Medium golden yellow, and showing more ripeness and alcohol than previous vintages. Nothing Burgundian about this: golden delicious apple, buttered popcorn, and too much alcohol on the finish to enjoy at cellar temp so we chilled it down in order to finish the rest of the bottle. MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT.

[David M. Bueker]

Higher ABV for the ‘16?

[Jenise]

Yes, by .6%.

2012 School House Chardonnay; Napa Valley, Spring Mt.....said on the back label to be made in a Burgundian style. So it seems on the nose and the fruit is citrus/lemon with no tropicality. It did remind me of a Meursault at first but the lack of minerality was disappointing. Nice acidity offered great balance but there was little depth of fruit. abv of %13.6 and pale/light straw color.
I will try to get to Greg Lafollette/Walter Hansel/Ramey/Shafer Red Shoulder Chardonnays before I leave for the wilderness of the U.P. of Mich.