This month we began our varietal explorations. We decided to start with Chardonnay, since it is one of the most popular white wines.
First off, describing aromas and tastes can be a daunting thing, especially when it comes to chardonnay because they can vary so much in their flavors and descriptors.
Here are some general Chardonnay descriptors, particularly in reference to California Chardonnay:
*These flavors come from the grapes themselves:
~Stone Fruits: green apples, pear, apricot, peach
~Citrus: orange, lemon, lime, tangerine, grapefruit
~Tropical: pineapple, mango, melon, guava
*These flavors usually come from the winemaking process such as malolactic fermentation and barrel-age:
~Malolactic: rich, butter, cream, caramel, hazelnut, nutty oak
~Light Oak: vanilla, sweet wood, and coconut
~Heavy Oak: oak, smoke, toast, and yeast
For a long time Chardonnay was made in a style with lots of butter and oak on the palate. These days, Unoaked Chardonnay is making a big comeback. We decided to take a moment and discuss the difference between the two styles.
Oaked and Unoaked Chardonnay:
~Used predominantly these days when making Chardonnay are oak barrels. Chardonnay is a perfect example of how well white wine and wood work together. Being aged in oak gives the grapes a whole new range of flavors which makes the wine more complicated and delicious. The smaller and newer the barrel, the more oak flavors the wine will have.
~In general, stainless steel fermentation and aged wines tend to express more fruit forward fruit aromas and flavors, while those fermented and aged in barrels absorb the wood, vanilla, baking spice and other characters from the oak.
~If chardonnay grapes are aged in oak, the result is a more fruit driven wine that has richness and creaminess but not the buttery quality identified by malolactic fermentation which we will talk about in more detail in a minute.
Malolactic Fermentation:
~As you may remember, we talked about primary fermentation in a previous session, as a reminder this converts the sugar in the juice into alcohol. Wine is made by picking ripe grapes at just the right time, then crushing them to get the juice. This juice gets mixed with yeast which then converts the grapes natural sugars into alcohol.
Malolactic Fermentation Defined: Malolactic fermentation is a secondary fermentation. Malic acid is the tart acid found in a Granny Smith apple, while lactic acid is the more subtle acid found in milk, butter, cheese and yogurt. This is the process that basically takes the tart malic acid (think apples) compounds formed during fermentation and softens to lactic acid (think milk) which can give the wine a creamy mouth feel, yet still retains the apple like scents. The malolactic fermentation takes the edge off the acidity.
~This malolactic fermentation is an optional process chosen by the wine maker, but if you prefer that big buttery, oaky chardonnay, then look for ones that have been through this malolactic fermentation. This process yields the compound (diacetyl) which makes the dominant scent of fake butter used in things such as microwave popcorn, or imitation butter flavorings used in baked goods.
Let's talk Barrels!
Chardonnay is one varietal where oak really shows off. It can get some specific flavor profiles from the oak such as: coconut, cinnamon, and cloves. There are 3 main oak barrels that Californian vintners use, depending on what they are looking for. American, French, and Hungarian oak barrels all impart different flavors on the wine. Within the choice of barrel type, the winemaker must also decide how heavy the toast they want, and how many times they will use the oak barrel. On its first use, the barrel will impart the strongest flavor, while a second or third use will show a decrease in intense oak flavor. We will go into further discussion on this in a future blog post.
For more information on oak toasting, go to this link... http://winebarrels.com/toasting.asp
Our Chardonnay blog post would not be complete without discussing the wines!
Wine varietals have their own preference when it comes to where they want to grow. Here is what we learned about premier Chardonnay regions in California:
Chardonnay friendly AVA’s: Premium quality Chardonnay thrives when planted in areas that are along the coast and heavily influenced by fog and coastal breezes. The heat of the day help the grapes to mature, while the cool evening breezes and temperature drops, help to prolong the growing season. This helps the grapes to gather intense flavor, while maintaining balanced acidity. Terroir characteristics can influence the wine. Some of the premier growing areas in California are: Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, Carneros (Napa), and Santa Barbara County. We will be highlighting Chardonnays from all four of these regions tonight.
Santa Lucia Highlands AVA
This region is located within Monterey County on the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, overlooking the Salinas Valley. The Tondre’ vineyard is south of Salinas and west of Gonzales.
Flavor Profile:
• Unoaked, dry, 13.5% alcohol
• Creamy toastiness (reminiscent of champagne)
• Crisp acidity
• Crisp green apples, assorted tropical fruits, with a hit of pineapple on the finish
~This wine was an example of unoaked Chardonnay. It was light, crisp, and refreshing. We decided that this wine would be a nice one to sip on, and would not necessarily need food to enjoy.
Russian River AVA
The Russian River AVA is located in Sonoma County. This region can influence a “flinty” taste in Chardonnay.
Flavor Profile:
• Aromas of: honeysuckle, white peach, lychee, and toasty vanilla oak
• Creamy and rich mouthfeel, with baked apple flavors, crisp acidity and a long finish
~While not very exciting or interesting at first, we did find that this wine changed a great deal throughout the tasting. It started out crisp, and became creamier with more butter influence as it sat in the glass.
Santa Ynez Valley AVA
Again, this AVA is near the coast, with cool breezes helping to promote a long growing season. Santa Ynez is located in Santa Barbara County.
Flavor Profile:
• Crisp acidity and a layered, mineral-laced honeysuckle scent
• On the palate: hints of orange marmalade, pears, ripe apples, and butter.
~From the winery made famous in the movie Sideways. This wine was interesting and continued to change in the glass as well. The Blackjack Chardonnay was food friendly and enjoyable.
Carneros AVA
This region spans both Napa and Sonoma Counties. It is generally cool and windy, especially on the Sonoma side. Chardonnay grown in this area are popular with sparkling wine producers.
Neyers Vineyards 2009 Carneros Chardonnay
Flavor Profile:
• Fresh floral scents, notes of apple, pear, spice and light oak
• Toasty nose with butter and spicy oak, nutty
• Full-bodied palate, intense and vibrant
~By far the evening favorite! This Chardonnay was interesting, buttery and oaky, but not overdone. It was the most food friendly Chardonnay of the evening, and got better and better as it sat in the glass.
Point to Ponder:
As you sip wine this month, consider what you have learned tonight. Think about the style of Chardonnay you prefer. Do you like a buttery, oaky chardonnay or do you like an unoaked, fruity and minerally Chardonnay? Or perhaps you like each of them equally depending on the situation!
