Chardonnay
One of the most popular and widely planted white grapes in the world, Chardonnay produces some of the world’s most iconic white and sparkling wines. The grape is the hallmark of many New World regions, yet its spiritual home is in France. There, it produces some of the most sought-after and long-lived white wines in Burgundy as well as transcendent sparkling wines in Champagne.
The vine performs well in a variety of climates, ranging from cool regions like Chablis in Burgundy to warm ones like the Barossa Valley in Australia. Chardonnay is an early-budding variety, which can pose issues in cooler climates that are prone to spring frosts. It can also lose its acidity rather quickly towards the tail end of ripening before harvest.
Chardonnay can stand up to a number of production methods, from unoaked to barrel-fermented to barrel-aged. Many examples also show the use of malolactic fermentation, which converts the grape’s sharp malic acid into softer, more buttery lactic acid.
The flavors of Chardonnay can range from apple, citrus and flint in cool climates to peach, melon and tropical fruit in moderate to warm climates. Versions that see time in oak can display tones like vanilla and toast, and those that undergo malolactic fermentation are typically creamy in feel and buttery in flavor.
Burgundy
Chardonnay has become synonymous with Burgundy and is the main white grape used throughout the region. To the north, in the cool climate of Chablis, the wines are citrusy and apple-driven, with a pronounced flinty or stony element. Chablis wines are either completely unoaked and matured in stainless steel tanks or aged in neutral oak, which imparts very little flavor.
Farther south in the Côte d’Or, which is comprised of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, the wines become fuller in body and toasty, often spending more time in newer oak barrels.
The Côte de Beaune is home to some of the world’s most iconic communes for Chardonnay: Bâtard-Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. South of the Côte d’Or is the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais, where the best value Burgundies can be found from an array of village-designated appellations.
Champagne
Chardonnay is one of the main grapes used in the sparkling wines of Champagne, alongside the red grapes Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. While it can be blended into the final cuvée with the other grapes of the region, Chardonnay is the sole grape used in bottles labeled blanc de blancs.
California
Chardonnay is the most widely planted white-wine grape in the state, with regions like Napa Valley and Sonoma County producing high-quality, premium bottlings. The style is generally very rich and heady in American or French oak compared to their Old World counterparts. Nuanced, mineral-driven examples can be found in more coastal regions like the Sonoma Coast. Chardonnay is also widely planted in the Central Coast, including the regions of Monterey, Sta. Rita Hills and the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Global Production
Chardonnay has a broad reach across the world. It can be found in the sparkling wines of Franciacorta in Northern Italy and the still wines of Styria in Austria, where it is called Morillon. It has found a foothold in New York State, contributing to both still and sparkling wines in the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley and Long Island wine regions. Both Oregon and Washington also produce bottlings, typically in an unctuous, oaked style.
In the southern hemisphere, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Chile all produce quality offerings that offer the full gamut of price point and style. Are you looking for a Chardonnay to remember? Explore our extensive Chardonnay wine reviews. Our expert tasters rate and review thousands of options to make it easy to select a wine you’ll enjoy.
Synonym: Morillon
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Giaconda 2019 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay (Beechworth)
VictoriaGiaconda's Chardonnays have a kind of cult status Down Under for their ...See Full Review$195 -
Pyramid Valley 2019 Lion's Tooth Chardonnay (North Canterbury)
New ZealandFrom one of New Zealand's most revered vineyards, Lion's Tooth comes with ...See Full Review$100 -
Bass Phillip 2019 Premium Chardonnay (Gippsland)
VictoriaRevealing its secrets quietly, discreetly, this Chardonnay is a complex, mineral-laden wine. ...See Full Review$127 -
Mira 2017 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay (Napa Valley)
NapaA vivid gold color signals something distinctive before nutty, lightly caramelized aromas ...See Full Review$95 -
Newton 2020 Beckstoffer Carneros Lake Vineyard Chardonnay (Napa Valley)
NapaToasty, spicy flavors, full body and a creamy texture come together beautifully ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$120 -
Pyramid Valley 2019 Field of Fire Chardonnay (North Canterbury)
New ZealandSteve Smith MW, the new(ish) co-owner of this highly revered North Canterbury ...See Full Review$100 -
J. Moreau & Fils 2019 Les Clos Grand Cru (Chablis)
BurgundySilky and lactic, this golden-yellow wine offers complex layers of Meyer lemon, ...See Full Review$95 -
Gaja 2020 Gaia & Rey Chardonnay (Langhe)
PiedmontA wine that started a movement when it was first released in ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$366 -
Cuvaison 2020 ATS Estate Grown Chardonnay (Carneros-Napa Valley)
NapaHeady aromas, complex flavors, a great concentration of fruit and oak spice ...Editors’ ChoiceSee Full Review$75 -
Smith and Sheth 2020 CRU Heretaunga Chardonnay (Hawke's Bay)
New ZealandThis is a pristine, Burgundy-influenced Chardonnay with poise and ageworthiness. The nose ...See Full Review$50 -
Morgan 2021 Highland Chardonnay (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Central CoastThere's a compelling combination of precision and depth on this bottling. Aromas ...See Full Review$30 -
Stella Bella 2021 Suckfizzle Chardonnay (Margaret River)
Western AustraliaFrom the most southern vineyard in Margaret River, this wine's name alone ...See Full Review$55 -
Tiefenbrunner 2019 Vigna Au Riserva Chardonnay (Alto Adige)
Northeastern ItalyGrown at elevations between 853 feet and 1,050 feet on the steep ...Cellar SelectionSee Full Review$100 -
Giesen 2017 Clayvin Fuder Chardonnay (Marlborough)
New ZealandPale gold with a green tinge, this exudes pineapple rind, preserved lemon, ...See Full Review$40 -
Kumeu River 2021 Maté's Vineyard Chardonnay (Kumeu)
New ZealandFrom over 30-year-old vineyards in the far north of New Zealand, this ...See Full Review$69 -
Bodega Catena Zapata 2020 Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay (Mendoza)
Mendoza ProvinceThis white comes from a plot within the famous Adrianna Vineyards in ...Editors’ ChoiceSee Full Review$140 -
Pyramid Valley 2019 Chardonnay (North Canterbury)
New ZealandGive this a little time in glass to open. Once it does, ...See Full Review$50 -
Cordero San Giorgio 2020 Rivone Chardonnay (Oltrepò Pavese)
LombardyThis focused and pure wine opens with aromas of fresh and ripe ...See Full Review$55 -
Caraccioli 2020 Escolle Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Central CoastThe sharply citrus and epically mineral-driven bottling begins with lemon peel and ...See Full Review$40 -
Domaine Laroche 2020 Les Blanchots Grand Cru “Reserve de l'Obedience” (Chablis)
BurgundyFor this reviewer, the delicious umami midpalate of this wine is everything. ...See Full Review$156
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