Chardonnay
From crisp and mineral to broad and buttery.
Climate and winemaking matter greatly: one grape can yield very different still or sparkling whites.
What to notice
Compare an unoaked version with a barrel-aged one: the grape stays the same, while fermentation and ageing change texture.
Explore styles and places
Style descriptions are guides, not rules: vintage, vineyard, blending and maturation change the result.
Burgundy — Parcels, soils and exposures create a finely grained map of terroir, from Chablis to the Mâconnais.
Champagne — Acidity, fine bubbles and time on lees give Champagne its distinctive depth.
Casablanca Valley — Maritime freshness and differences between sites make two whites from the same vintage rewarding to compare.
Willamette Valley — Pinot Noir and Chardonnay combine fruit and freshness here.
Jura — Arbois, Côtes du Jura, L’Étoile and Château-Chalon locate wines; vin jaune and vin de paille are different wine types.
