Variety
WhiteChardonnay
Also known as: Morillon
The world's leading white variety – more malleable than any other. From bone-dry-mineral (Chablis) to creamy-buttery (Californian style).
Portrait
Chardonnay arose as a cross of Pinot and Gouais Blanc in north-eastern France; the name derives from the village of Chardonnay in the Mâconnais. Burgundy is the variety's historic home, and from there it spread to almost every wine-growing country. In Germany it was grown only sparingly for a long time and gained importance from the 1990s.
The vine buds early and is therefore exposed to spring frost, but ripens early to mid-season and adapts to many soils; limestone and marl give the most precise wines. Besides Bourgogne it is grown in Pfalz, Baden, Rheinhessen, Piemont, Western Australia, Banat and Dobrudscha. Style depends heavily on winemaking: steely and mineral as in Chablis, or round and buttery through oak, lees contact and malolactic fermentation.
Chardonnay goes with poultry, veal, fish in cream sauce, shellfish and aged hard cheeses; the best Burgundies age for many years.
Taste profile
Six axes — acidity, sweetness, body, tannin, aroma intensity and depth — on a 0–5 scale, based on typical style. Real wines vary by region and producer.
Typical aromas — Chardonnay
These 8 aromas typically define Chardonnay. Actual taste experience varies by region and style.
Apple
Pear
Citrus
Pineapple
Vanilla (oak)
Butter
Brioche
Flint
Chardonnay aroma families
These aroma categories are characteristic of Chardonnay. Other varieties have different focuses.
Fruit aromas are the most common and come directly from the grape, ranging from citrus through stone fruit to black berries.
Wood and toast aromas emerge from aging in oak barriques or larger wooden barrels.
Mineral notes are considered terroir-typical, emerging from soil, acidity and pH.
Secondary aromas from malolactic fermentation and yeast lysis, common in whites and sparkling wines.
Key regions
Chardonnay is grown in the following regions of our atlas. Click to see wineries.
Wineries with Chardonnay
624 curated profiles in our atlas grow Chardonnay.
624 wineries
Gaja
Barbaresco · Barbaresco
Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon
Aldo Conterno
Barolo · Monforte d'Alba
Nebbiolo, Barbera, Chardonnay
Elio Grasso
Barolo · Monforte d'Alba
Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto
Massolino
Barolo · Serralunga d'Alba
Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
Bourgogne · Côte de Nuits · Vosne-Romanée
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay (Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet
Weingut Keller
Rheinhessen · Wonnegau · Flörsheim-Dalsheim
Riesling, Spätburgunder (1, 5 ha)
Conterno Fantino
Barolo · Monforte d'Alba
Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto
Marchesi di Grésy
Barbaresco · Barbaresco
Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto
Pio Cesare
Langhe · Alba
Nebbiolo, Barbera, Chardonnay