Celebrating Chardonnay
Celebrating Chardonnay
by Jane Berg by Jane Berg
Chardonnay 101 Sampler
Chardonnay 101 Sampler
France
Normally $222.00 SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $178.00 (a 20% discount) |
This item does not take further discounts
Today, we’re celebrating Chardonnay’s star power with a few wines from its historical birthplace in and around Burgundy. Chardonnay is a remarkable chameleon—it has the keen ability to reflect and embody the micro-nuances of the environment in which it’s grown. In cooler regions, Chardonnay reveals some of its truest expressions, managing to make a range of diverse terroirs speak loudly and clearly of their singular places of origin. At a glance the wines we’ve selected are similar in profile, but in the glass you’ll be struck by their individuality.
On the outskirts of Lyon, Ghislaine Dupeuble bottles a light-bodied, thirst-inspiring Beaujolais blanc made from 100% Chardonnay. What’s captured in this bottling is a rare treat, since most Chardonnay plantings around here were uprooted to make way for Gamay. Vinified in stainless steel, this wine is delightfully easy-drinking, and food-friendly beyond reproach.
Venture into the Mâconnais by comparing two bottlings side-by-side: A racy, citrus-driven Mâcon-Farges from Henri Perrusset and a rounder, sturdier Saint-Véran from the beloved Robert brothers. The former is delicate and transparent, while the latter, raised in neutral oak, is broad-shouldered and persistent. Grown only 25 miles apart, you’ll marvel at the stark differences.
Perhaps the most convivial cuvée of the bunch is Valentin Montanet’s Bourgogne Blanc, a quintessential bistro-style Chardonnay that tastes of pure plaisir—perfect when you’re feeling peckish, or in the mood for a picnic.
Up north in Chablis, Domaine Costal’s Les Truffières demonstrates all the magic of a cooler climate, where this Chardonnay grows on fossil-laden Kimmeridgian marl. Young Chablis is impossibly energetic, with flinty minerality and verve, making it exceedingly cellar-worthy. Drink now with zero regrets, or, wait a few years for the notes of waxy honeycomb, citrus skin, and sea salt to set in.
And lastly, don’t wait for a special occasion to uncage the holy grail of Chardonnay: an exceptionally brut Blanc de Blancs from Veuve Fourny. Thanks to the bright white chalky soil of Vertus, this wine delivers saline minerality, precision, and toasty aromatics laced together by a super-fine bead.
2019 Beaujolais Blanc • Domaine Dupeuble $19
2018 Bourgogne Blanc • La Soeur Cadette $32
2019 Mâcon-Farges “Vieilles Vignes” • Henri Perrusset $24
2018 Saint-Véran “Les Pommards Vieilles Vignes” • Domaine Robert-Denogent $52
2018 Chablis “Les Truffières” • Henri Costal $35
N.V. Blanc de Blancs Brut 1er Cru • Veuve Fourny et Fils $60
Normally $222.00 SPECIAL SAMPLER PRICE $178.00 (a 20% discount) |