6/07 PETIT WEEK IN WINE - Blind Tasting: Chardonnay Challenge!

Chablis - Northern Burgundy, France

• Chablis, the northernmost wine district of Burgundy is unique for its Kimmeridgian soils that lend a hand into its defining flinty-minerality profile. Complex, dry Chablis wines have lots of acid, citrus, green fruit, smoke, and what industry pros call a "wet slate or stone" palate.

Côte Chalonnaise - Southern Burgundy, France

• Central Burgundy has a more moderate climate, and Chardonnays are grown across its southern half, called the Côte de Beaune. These fuller-bodied wines are usually labeled by village and often aged in small oak barrels on lees, giving them nuanced flavors of tropical fruits, oak, spice, and citrus.

Oregon, USA

• The Willamette Valley is ground-zero for Chardonnay in the state. Oregon Chardonnay leads with acidity and is balanced with succulence and texture. Less oak is present in general (when compared to Napa Chardonnays) with hints of lemon zest, green apple and grapefruit.

California, USA

• Most Chardonnays in the US hail from Northern California, specifically Sonoma, Napa, Russian River, and Carneros. Styles vary, from full-bodied with ripe tropical fruit flavors to more recent releases of lean, Côte d’Or-style Chardonnays with savory, herbal notes.

Argentina

• Many Americans associate Mendoza with Malbec, but Argentina’s high-elevation wine region also produces rich Chardonnays with tropical fruit and citrus flavors. The cooler climate provides balanced acidity, and many winemakers age their Chardonnays in oak, giving them spicy notes.

South Africa

• Characterized by flavors of fruit, notably peach and citrus. There are also spicy and woody notes, mainly oak, due to the barrels where the Chardonnay wines are fermented. More Old World in style with a New World twist.