Chardonnay
Chardonnay is dry because only a small amount of residual sugar remains in the wine after fermentation. What many people perceive as sweetness comes from the vanilla and buttery notes of oak aging, not from sugar.
Wine by type and region
Four pages closely related to chardonnay: the section where it appears, the region it comes from, the sparkling wine it goes into and the grape it resembles.
White wine
The entire white wine selection at a glance, from bone-dry to dessert-sweet, with what to expect in the glass for each grape.
About White wine →Burgundy
The region where the chardonnay grape comes from and where it is still one of the most important white varieties.
About Burgundy →
Champagne
Chardonnay is one of the three permitted champagne grapes, and a blanc de blancs is made only from chardonnay.
About Champagne →
Sauvignon blanc
The grape that a steel-aged chardonnay comes closest to in flavor, although chardonnay is slightly fruitier and softer.
About Sauvignon blanc →A grape variety from Burgundy, not a region and not champagne
Chardonnay is a grape variety, not champagne and not a wine region. The chardonnay grape originally comes from Burgundy in France and is still considered one of the most important white grape varieties there. Famous white Burgundies such as Meursault, Pouilly-Fuissé and Chablis are known worldwide. Because the grape is hardy, grows easily and is not very susceptible to disease, chardonnay is now grown all over the world. From Germany and Italy to the United States and South Africa: almost every wine-producing country now produces chardonnay. In the glass, you recognize it by its pale yellow color and aromas of tropical fruit, citrus, vanilla and toasted nuts.
When asked whether Chardonnay is dry or sweet, the short answer is: dry. Chardonnay is a wine that contains little residual sugar after fermentation, which is why it is on the dry side. It is a medium- to full-bodied white wine, with fairly low acidity in oak-aged Chardonnays and medium acidity in wines that have not been aged in oak. The reason you often hear that Chardonnay tastes sweet is the ageing: Chardonnay raised in oak is rich and full of warm flavours such as vanilla, butter and even caramel. These notes make the wine fuller and creamier without any sweetness being involved, especially alongside the ripe tropical fruit that the grape naturally brings.
In brief
Six bottles, from steel to oak
The main distinction with this grape lies in the ageing. Steel-aged Chardonnay is made in cooler climates and remains fresh; most oak-aged Chardonnay comes from warm wine regions and becomes full and creamy.
Chablis la Pierrelée
The fresh side of Burgundy, known for its minerality, with flavours of lemon, green apple and white blossom. There is no oak ageing here, which comes through in the crisp acidity.
Brocard Bourgogne
A white Burgundy from outside Chablis, fresh with citrus, pears and a creamy texture. At 14 percent, the fullest-bodied bottle in this selection.
La Palma Chardonnay
In this 100% Chardonnay, you can taste tropical fruit such as pineapple, banana and a hint of lime, alongside peach, yellow apple and roasted hazelnuts. Rich, full and creamy, yet at 12 percent the lightest bottle here.
Tokara Chardonnay
Ripe yellow fruit such as apricots and peaches, alongside a refreshing taste and finish. With a hint of oak ageing that supports but does not dominate, striking the balance between steel and oak.
Penfolds Koonunga Hill
Ripe, rounded and with distinct oak aging. Several months in small French oak barrels have given the wine complexity and a lovely creamy flavor.
La Capitana Barrel Reserve
Half of this full, rich and intense wine matures for six months in oak barrels. You can taste that in the vanilla, butter and toffee, alongside pineapple, papaya, peach and lemon.
Chardonnay from a stainless steel tank comes close to a fresh Sauvignon Blanc, but is slightly fruitier and softer.
Dry from sugar, full from oak
Tropical fruit & citrus
Chardonnay can have aromas and flavors of tropical fruit, citrus, vanilla and toasted nuts. In the glass, you can recognize it by its pale yellow color, which becomes a warm deep yellow in the full-bodied oak-aged style.
Dry and medium- to full-bodied
Chardonnay is a medium- to full-bodied white wine that contains little residual sugar after fermentation and therefore remains on the dry side. Oak-aged bottles have fairly low acidity, while wines not aged in oak have medium acidity.
Vanilla, butter and caramel
Chardonnay aged in oak is rich and full of warm flavors such as vanilla, butter and even caramel. Many people perceive these notes as sweet, even though there is no sugar in the wine: oak-aged Chardonnay tastes fuller and creamier without being sweet.
Flavor profile of an average Chardonnay. A stainless-steel-aged bottle such as Chablis scores higher on freshness, while an oak-aged one scores higher on body; sweetness changes little.
How to pour Chardonnay
Chardonnay goes into the glass chilled, and exactly how cold depends on the style in the bottle.
Chill to 8 to 12 degrees
The ideal drinking temperature is usually between 8 and 12 degrees. Fresh Chardonnays, such as Chablis, are best enjoyed a little cooler than fuller, oak-aged varieties; within that range, a stainless-steel-aged bottle is closer to eight degrees and an oak-aged one closer to twelve.
From stainless steel to oak →In a large white wine glass
Preferably use a large white wine glass and hold it by the stem: the stem prevents your hand from holding the bowl and warming the wine. Pour white wine to just above the widest part of the bowl. We use the rule of thumb of six glasses per bottle.
To the glasses →At the table and afterwards
Chardonnay varies widely in flavour and texture. A light chardonnay such as Chablis, with its fresh acidity, pairs well with shellfish; with a rich, round chardonnay such as Mâcon Villages, fish and poultry with a light, creamy sauce work very well, and smoked products are also a good match. Store an opened bottle sealed in the refrigerator.
More about storage →Cocktails with chardonnay
Chardonnay itself is not used in cocktails; you simply drink it from the glass. However, the grape is one of the three varieties permitted for champagne, so these four sparkling cocktails come closest.
Kir Royal
Crème de cassis in the glass, gently topped up with a dry sparkling wine.
Mimosa
Half orange juice, half bubbles, and nothing else is needed.
Bellini
Peach purée in the bottom of the glass, topped with sparkling wine.
French 75
Gin, lemon juice and syrup shaken together, then topped up with bubbles.The right glass for chardonnay
A generously sized white wine glass gives the aromas room to develop, while a slimmer glass keeps a chilled bottle cool for longer. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything else you wanted to know about chardonnay
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