Some years ago now, there was a thing called ABC - Anything But Chardonnay. Wine drinkers had tired of the mass of Chardonnay filling the shelves of supermarkets, wine merchants and on restaurant wine lists and, becoming more confident in their drinking habits, they wanted to try new things. Such a backlash was no surprise really as the global wine market boomed. Some new world producers thought they could replicate the best of Burgundy by using oak chips, artificial flavouring or acidification, yet all they managed was uninspiring and unpure tasting wine. I recall a trip to Australia back in 2007 when a producer told myself and a group of other wine merchants that he could make us a wine to taste however we wanted it to, by adding various "ingredients" to it. His industrial sized warehouse had already put me off his wines before his revelation and, given this was widely practised, it's no wonder consumers got put off. Not exactly hand crafted wine with minimal intervention, letting the purity of the fruit shine through.
Fortunately, those days seem to be behind us - although bulk wines are sometimes still produced in this manner - and the grape variety that makes arguably the greatest whites on the planet is making a strong comeback. I happen to think that the retirement of the very influential American critic, Robert Parker, has also had a positive effect given that Bob liked his wines to be big and showy (producers have pulled back from over extracting, too much sweetness and too much oak) and what we are seeing now are beautiful wines where the work is done mainly in the vineyard and then winemakers let the grapes show themselves in their true light.
The best Chardonnays are sublime - I'm talking here the top producers in Burgundy (although demand now outstrips supply to such a degree that prices have gone bonkers) but there are also exceptional wines from parts of California, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and even England. And let's not forget that Chardonnay plays a big role in the wonderful choice of Champagnes and English Sparkling wines that we have, either as part of a blend or as a Blanc de Blancs. Granted, there are many other great varieties out there - and I thoroughly enjoy drinking them and discovering new wines and styles. But, for me, Chardonnay has delivered the best white wine experiences I've ever had and I hope that will continue.
Here are some of my current favourites:
Buronfosse Chardonnay Varron - from France's Jura region, where some exciting things are happening, this is certified organic and a wine that demonstrates the more nutty, complex side of Chardonnay, with a little bit of oxidation. See full tasting note here.
Mont Blois Hoog en Laag Chardonnay - a tiny production wine from South Africa, this is packed with citrus, peach and vanilla but is wonderfully balanced with huge complexity. Really sumptuous. Read about it here.
Tolpuddle Chardonnay - from Tasmania, this relatively new project has been one of the wines to try and get hold of each vintage. Crisp and minerally with lovely balanced citrus and tropical fruit and well judged used of fine oak, it's beautiful drinking. Read our tasting note here.
Evening Land Summum Chardonnay - a project part owned by super sommelier, Raj Parr, this is a truly stunning biodynamic wine from Oregon. It is simply sensational with wonderful purity of fruit, exceptional balance, great complexity and huge length. A wine to make you sit back and say "wow". See tasting note here.
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