Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a white grape, happiest in cool to moderate to warm climates, with medium to high acidity.
Colour
White grape
Climate
Cool, Moderate, Warm
Acidity
Medium to High
Body
Light to Medium to Full
Oak
Oaked or unoaked
How it tastes
Worth knowing
- Versatile (range of climates)
- Range of winemaking techniques
- Used to make sparkling wines
Where it grows best
Australia
South Australia, Adelaide Hills
Cool high-altitude sites give taut, citrus-and-white-peach Chardonnay with bright acidity and restrained, well-judged oak that flatters rather than dominates the fruit.
Australia
Southeastern Australia
A broad blending zone yielding affordable, easy-drinking Chardonnay: ripe tropical and stone-fruit flavours, soft acidity and a smooth, often lightly oaked finish.
Australia
Southeastern Australia, Yarra Valley
Cooler-climate Yarra fruit shows fine nectarine and grapefruit notes, lively acidity and elegant, tightly integrated oak in a sleek, restrained style.
Australia
Western Australia, Margaret River
Maritime warmth builds a concentrated, medium- to full-bodied wine layered with peach, nectarine and pineapple, balanced by structured oak and a long, mineral close.
Chile
Casablanca Valley
Cooling coastal fog slows ripening here, producing fresh, citrus-driven Chardonnay with crunchy green-apple acidity and a lightly saline, restrained-oak character.
Chile
Central Valley
Warmer inland vineyards deliver generous, ripe-fruited Chardonnay full of melon and tropical flavours, soft acidity and approachable, gently oaked, value-driven appeal.
France
Burgundy
The variety's spiritual home, spanning lean unoaked styles to barrel-fermented wines; expect orchard fruit, citrus, racy acidity and a distinct mineral thread.
France
Burgundy, Chablis
Cool northern climate and Kimmeridgian limestone yield steely, bone-dry Chardonnay with green-apple and lemon bite, flinty minerality and typically little or no oak.
France
Burgundy, Côte d'Or, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Famed for rich, broad-shouldered whites with hazelnut, butter and ripe citrus, rounded by lees-ageing and barrel work while keeping a firm acidic spine.
France
Burgundy, Côte d'Or, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet
Among the most prized white terroirs, giving tightly structured, precise Chardonnay with citrus, white flowers and stony minerality lifted by judicious oak.
France
Burgundy, Mâconnais, Mâcon
Southern Burgundy's warmer, sunnier slopes give fruit-forward, mostly unoaked Chardonnay: ripe apple and citrus, gentle body and friendly, everyday charm.
France
Burgundy, Mâconnais, Pouilly-Fuissé
The Mâconnais' top appellation makes deeper, more concentrated Chardonnay, commonly oak-matured, with ripe orchard fruit, a creamy texture and notable ageing potential.
France
South of France
Sun-drenched Languedoc vineyards turn out ripe, generous Chardonnay with melon and peach flavours, softer acidity and often a creamy, lightly oaked, well-priced style.
New Zealand
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
A warm North Island region producing full-bodied, ripe Chardonnay with juicy stone fruit and tropical notes, framed by toasty oak and good ageing capacity.
New Zealand
South Island, Marlborough
Cooler Marlborough fruit shows ripe lemon, peach and melon with crisp, refreshing acidity and only subtle oak, keeping the wine bright and tightly focused.
South Africa
Western Cape
A versatile Cape category running from fresh, unoaked styles to barrel-fermented wines, generally showing ripe citrus and stone fruit over a firm acidic backbone.
South Africa
Western Cape, Walker Bay
Cooled by Atlantic breezes, this coastal pocket crafts refined Chardonnay with ripe stone and tropical fruit, bright acidity and elegantly woven oak.
USA
California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Pacific fog and ocean winds funnel through transverse valleys here, yielding cool-climate Chardonnay with citrus and white peach, vivid acidity and thoughtfully measured oak.
USA
California, Northern California, Carneros
Bay-cooled Carneros balances ripeness and freshness, producing rounded Chardonnay with citrus and apple, crisp acidity and supple, well-integrated barrel character.
USA
California, Northern California, Napa Valley
Warm Napa sites build powerful, full-bodied Chardonnay dense with tropical fruit, fleshed out by vanilla, butter and toast from generous new-oak ageing.
USA
California, Northern California, Sonoma
Fog-influenced Sonoma vineyards yield ripe yet balanced Chardonnay with apple, citrus and stone fruit, creamy texture and measured oak across a range of styles.
USA
Oregon
Oregon's cool climate produces tightly wound, Burgundian-leaning Chardonnay with vivid acidity, citrus and orchard fruit and increasingly restrained, polished oak handling.
Compare it with
Riesling 
Chenin Blanc 
Sémillon / Semillon Drill Chardonnay until it sticks
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