Chardonnay

Overview

Chardonnay is the world’s most widely planted white grape and Burgundy’s great white variety. Unlike Pinot Noir, Chardonnay is relatively adaptable — but in Burgundy, it achieves an unmatched combination of richness, minerality, and longevity. The grape itself is relatively neutral; its character comes almost entirely from site and winemaking. Terroir expression in Burgundy Chardonnay is as striking as in Pinot Noir — Chablis and Meursault taste nothing alike despite being the same grape.

Key Regions

• Chablis — flinty, oyster-shell, citrus, no oak; austere and age-worthy
• Puligny-Montrachet — taut, mineral, white flowers, citrus; benchmark for precision
• Chassagne-Montrachet — richer, more textured; hazelnut and butter
• Meursault — the richest Côte de Beaune Chardonnay; honeyed, buttery, nutty
• Champagne — backbone for blanc de blancs and blends
• Mercurey — less complex but excellent value
• Burgundy regional: Bourgogne Blanc, Mâcon, Saint-Véran

Style Notes by Region

• Chablis: Cool fermentation (often stainless steel), no malo, Kimmeridgian limestone = flinty, oyster shell, green apple, high acid. Grand crus age 15–25 years easily.
• Puligny: White flowers, citrus, chalk. Barrel-fermented but integrated. Linear, precise, age 10–25 years.
• Meursault: Butter, hazelnut, honey. Approachable earlier; still ages well.
• Burgundy regional: Drink young, fresh expression of the grape.

Winemaking Notes (from VFTC #121)

The 2024 vintage demonstrates that Chardonnay handles adversity better than Pinot Noir in some respects — the Côte de Beaune had better yields than the Côte de Nuits. The whites of 2024 are universally praised as a vintage of extreme quality and precision: “crystalline expressions of terroir” (Gilman). The 2024 whites share: deep pure fruit, stunning transparency to soil, great acidity, and very precise expressions.

Véronique Drouhin (Maison Joseph Drouhin): “the best results in terms of yields were in the Côte de Beaune.”

My Tastings

(none yet)

Sources

• sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC Jan-Feb 2026 #121.pdf