Do you remember how at school there were always about 15 people in your year with the same first name? The parents must have thought they were being quite original at the time, but there was clearly some subliminal advertising going on somewhere. In my year, it was Rachel: fat ones, skinny ones, bitchy ones, drippy ones, French ones, Italian ones; you name it! Variations on a theme of Rachel were popular the world over.
It was hard to work out how to feel about Rachels because just as I had decided I hated the name because of bully Rachel who smelt of wee, I met supermodel-in-training Rachel who had a perm and some older friends who could get into nightclubs. Suddenly, I wanted to name all my future children Rachel. Even the boys.
Well, Chardonnay is the wine version of Rachel. The myriad of different styles you can find worldwide can make it difficult to pin down your thoughts on it. After all, nearly every wine producing region in the world has a go at growing the Chardonnay grape! You may have been put off by some overly oaky, alcoholic fruit bombs in the past, only to discover that your white wine of choice – an unoaked and understated, super-dry offering - is also a Chardonnay. Chablis sound familiar, anyone? Yep. That's Chardonnay.
As styles of of this wine go, they move from the sublime to the ridiculous with arguably the greatest white wines in the world made from this grape. There are still however, some key elements that they all have in common: peachy-melon aromas and flavours and a fuller body than many other white varieties such as Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc.
Obviously, I can’t give the full spectrum of Chardy in this one page, but here is my Human Tasting Tour of 4 key styles to compare. They'll help you to get to know the grape better. If you can, spend a bit more per bottle as you go up the scale:
Human Wine Language Tasting Tour:
Chardonnay 1 - The Pamela Anderson. Big, buxom and bursting with fruit. Well-oaked with a sickly sweet edge and not a lot going on beneath the surface. Try a cheapy from California.
Chardonnay 2 – The Jennifer Aniston. Safe & reliable, with just enough fruit character and a full enough body to keep everyone happy. Try a mid-priced offering from South Africa or Chile.
Chardonnay 3 – The Gwyneth Paltrow. Understated, elegant and super dry with plenty going on upstairs. Celebrated the world over, there’s only one Gywneth Paltrow; there’s only one Chablis.
Chardonnay 4 – The Kate Winslet. A perfect blend of character, beauty and sophistication with plenty of complexity, body and a wide appeal. Another Oscar winning actress, she is the perfect cover-girl for top end White Burgundy.
I'm thirsty now.
Winebird x
