Editors' Picks: Chardonnay

Even with so many wonderful white grape varieties to choosefrom, I always come back to chardonnay when I want something to accompany food, particularly fish and shellfish. I think the anything-but-chardonnay movement has disappeared for now and chardonnay has re-established itself as the predominant white wine choice of most North Americans and Europeans.

No other variety offers as much complexity, flavour depth,texture or style variation to suit one's needs or the type of food. Characteristics range from green apple, pear, floral, grassy aromas, with lime or lemon in cool climates to more peach, honey, orange, melon characters in warmer areas. Riper, more intense examples of the wine can exhibit pineapple, mango, guava and even honeysuckle. Acidity can be very firm and brisk, creamy or somewhat softer and fatter. The influence of barrels and yeast autolysis adds many other characters, such as toasty, nutty, garlic, cream, butter and spice components.

The climate and clonal selections available are abundant and allow for the production of many examples and styles, including regional blends, to achieve a winemaker's desired characteristics. Although the grape originated in Burgundy, France, it has found a home in nearly every major winemaking country around the world. In the cool conditions of Chablis, where there is generally limited oak used in production, wines often exhibit a crunchy, juicy acidity, perhaps lighter on the palate, but with lemon, lime, oystershell, green apple and spicy, lees characters accompanied by lower alcohol, improved drinkability and aging ability.

White burgundy offers more of the riper fruit spectrum, with more perfumed, floral notes on the nose and a decent spice component, as well as more mouth-feel (viscosity and creaminess).

Wine writers often talk about "style," and while styles can change, we always refer back to an ideal, an archetype of style we hope the wines we taste can achieve. The preservation of acidity, fruit expression and freshness has become the primary concern of serious wine producers - the archetypal style. There has been a marked improvement in wine quality worldwide and, as a result, I believe there has never been a period in our winemaking history that has offered up such an incredible array of quality chardonnay wines, be they from France, California, Australia or any other producing country.        

Make sure to check out our other editors' picks:

An introduction by Anthony Gismondi

Sonoma

Sicily

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

Cabernet Franc

Riesling

Maison Louis Jadot

Viña Montes

Seghesio Vineyards