Guest Blogger: Len Tolstunov on Chardonnay

Happy February to all!  Spring is just around the corner. The days are noticeably longer and warmer and the rainy days are patchy and alluring.

This is your Calistoga Wine Society Monthly Newsletter where we share fun facts about one wine varietal each month. This time, it is Chardonnay, the 5th wine grape in the world and the 2nd in U.S. (after Cabernet Sauvignon). 

Origin

Chardonnay, an established and loved white wine varietal everywhere in the world, is an extremely versatile and adaptable grape that can grow in different climates and conditions – practically everywhere. Chardonnay wines that come from cooler climates often have more pronounced acidity and citrus notes and from warmer climates- moderate acidity and tropical fruit characteristics.

Chardonnay offers a versatile taste for lovers of both creamy and lean wines. The difference often depends on the way the grapes are made and aged. Creamy, rich and full-bodied Chardonnays are often undergo malolactic fermentation (read below) and aged in oak barrels, while crisp, lean, and mineral Chard wines are often aged either in neutral oak or in stainless steel or concrete vats and may not undergo MLF during winemaking process. 

You are more likely to find buttery and rich Chardonnay in Napa Valley, complex and balanced wines in Burgundy, France, and austere and crisp wines from Chablis, France. Warmer climates, like Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand are also known to produce full-bodied Chardonnays. 

Popularity in the U.S.

During the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris, a blind-tasting competition of French versus California wines, a Chardonnay made by the late Mike Grgich at Calistoga’s Chateau Montelena Winery, won first place in the white wine category, in what was considered at the time to be a major upset, beating famous and coveted Burgundian Chardonnays. This, along with Stag Leap’s win in the red wine category, with a Cabernet Sauvignon made by the late Warren Winiarski, put the Napa Valley on the international wine map from that pivotal point on!

Chardonnay of France

France is famous for its top-quality Chardonnays, particularly in the region of Cote de Beaune, which is part of the renowned Cote d’Or wine region of Burgundy. Cote de Beaune Chardonnays are praised for their terror or ability for the wines to express the sense of place where they were grown.

The Grand Cru designations, which is a regional wine classification for the most superior French wines, have been given to the Montrachet and Corton winegrowing regions, as well as to the Meursault region. Wines from these regions can cost up to $500 per bottle. The Chablis region, located in the northern part of Bourgogne, is known to produce the highest category of crisp and lean Chardonnays. And Blanc de Blancs Champagnes are made purely from the Chardonnay grape (rather than being blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, which is common) and can be unbelievably sensory and spectacular.

Malolactic Fermentation

Most red wines and some white wines, like Chardonnay, during the winemaking process, undergo malolactic fermentation (MLF) in oak barrels. For Chardonnays, this process imparts in the wines richer and buttery aromas and flavors.

During the process of secondary fermentation (or conversion), the tart malic (apple) acid is being replaced with a softer and buttery lactic (milk) acid, adding body, softness, roundness and richness to the final wine product and eliminating tart aromas that are often predominate in leaner wines, like Sauvignon Blanc.

Crisp and lean Chardonnays from cooler climates often are not put through the MLF and are instead aged in steel tanks (rather than oak barrels) during the winemaking process and storage.

Chardonnay drinkers can traditionally be separated into two categories: those who prefer the full and buttery style and those who like a lean and crisp wine. Some winemakers, trying to find a middle ground that will appeal to both categories of consumers, use neutral (used) oak barrels during MLF, followed by steel tanks for storage to achieve an intermediate style Chardonnay that is medium in body and texture and can potentially appeal to both categories of drinkers.

Tasting Profile

Chardonnay from colder climates like Chablis and Chile have primary fruit characteristics evocative of autumn orchard fruit, like ripe lemon, green/yellow crisp apple and pear with a very high acidity and oystershell minerality.

Chardonnay from the warmer climates such as Napa Valley, Russian River Valley, Burgundy, Australia and Argentina, demonstrate more tropical fruit notes such as pineapple, ripe red apple, peach, papaya, mango and guava. These warmer-climate Chardonnays have a more moderate acidity, fuller body and higher alcohol level. Secondary flavors from the MLF winemaking process impart aromas of vanilla and smoke and butter and cream. If the wine is aged on the lees (a solid residue byproduct of fermentation that consists of dead yeast cells, grape skins and other particles), the wine will often impart doughy and bready aromas. Oak-driven Chardonnays can also have tasting notes of cinnamon, clove and vanilla.

Food Pairing

Because Chardonnay is such a diverse wine, it can pair well with a variety of foods and dishes.

A crisp Chablis would go very well with mussels or fish (such as Sole Meunière) in lemon and brown butter sauce. On the other end of the spectrum, a creamy, buttery Chardonnay would pair nicely with roast turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy or with sweet polenta corn cakes and grilled lobster tail (or other shellfish, like crab, scallops or shrimp). 

If you’re feeling extra indulgent, a buttery Chardonnay with lobster could be the perfect dinner with a significant other, elevating your senses to an unexpected sensual level.

Regardless of the Chardonnay you choose to open and the food you pair it with, I hope you have an enchanting experience. Bon Appetit!

—By Len Tolstunov, WSET3, Founder of the Calistoga Wine Society, Tribune contributor

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