THE VINE
Chardonnay ... Oaked or Un-Oaked
C
hardonnay is easily the most
recognized type of white wine in
the world, and the grape that fi rst
comes to mind for most people when they
hear the term “white wine.” This diverse
grape grows in a variety of climates; from
cool and crisp to warm and humid. In
cooler climates the wines commonly
exhibit characteristics of lemon, with tree
fruits such as apples, pears and some
white peach. As the temperature rises
the wines become more tropical, leaning
towards pineapple and guava with notes
of fi g and yellow peach, but we do still
fi nd lemon or citrus characteristics
as well.
There are two main styles of
Chardonnay: Oaked and Un-Oaked.
Oaked Chardonnay is referred to as such
because it spends some time — you
guessed it — in oak wine barrels. There
is a secondary fermentation that occurs
that changes the acid structure of the
wine and essentially create the butter
flavor (think buttered popcorn) that
many people associate with Chardonnay.
These wines will still have some of the
fruit characteristics we love, but they will
also showcase toasty oak notes such as
baking spices, vanilla, or caramel. It is
important to note however, that this is
not characteristic of all Chardonnay. On
the other side of the spectrum, we have
Un-Oaked Chardonnay. These wines are
typically produced in stainless steel tanks,
and avoid the secondary fermentation.
This leaves the wines with a more crisp
acid structure, and more varietal charac-
teristics. Chardonnay is also a commonly
used as a base wine for Champagne and
other sparkling wines, and is the basis for
some of the most sought after sparkling
wines in the world. When made in this
style, chardonnay is fermented into a still
wine, and a secondary fermentation is
initiated to provide the bubbles we love
so much.
We see this grape growing in France,
the United States, New Zealand, Australia,
South America, Italy, and more. In the
United States it is one of the oldest modern
wine grapes to be cultivated, with records
dating back into the 1800s. After the
Prohibition era devastated the U.S. wine
industry that was Prohibition, only two
real commercial Chardonnay vineyards
remained: Wente in Livermore and Paul
Masson right here in the Santa Clara Valley.
To this day, many American Chardonnay
vineyards are grafted to this day with the
Wente Clone of Chardonnay. However,
the grape traces its roots all the way
back to Burgundy, France, and the name
Chardonnay is said to come from the village
of Macon specifically. In these regions we
still see it produced in the famous wines of
Chablis, and other white Burgundies, as the
only allowed grape variety.
Locally, we see several examples of
Chardonnay on both sides of the oak
spectrum. In Gilroy we can try Miramar
Winery’s 2013 Chardonnay, which is an
Oak Chardonnay that does not overpower
with toast or spice. Crisp acid with a nice
structure and stone fruit elements makes
this one of my favorite local examples of
Chardonnay. I have tried a few different
vintages as well, and they always have a
great balance of oak, acid and structure.
Sarah’s Vineyard, also in Gilroy, is
another Chardonnay superstar; with
examples that range from a little to a lot of
oak, depending on your preference. Their
2011 Estate Chardonnay is a complex
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JULY / AUGUST 2016
By Alicia Cuadra
example of great quality Oak Chardonnay,
with ripe citrus and peach elements as
well as the toasty vanilla characteristics
you would expect, without overpowering
the palate. If you get a chance to try their
2010 Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay
I do recommend that as well. This is more
of a cool climate style of wine-making,
and the citrus fruit with apple and
pear resemble more a Burgundy than a
California Chardonnay.
Guglielmo’s 2014 TRE Chardonnay is
also more of a restrained oak style, with
notes of ripe pineapple, citrus and green
apple with peach elements and a very
gentle oak spice. This is a contrast to their
2014 Chardonnay from Monterey, which
is a heavier use of oak but still shows
complex tree and tropical stone
fruit flavors.
In addition, Clos LaChance produces
an un-oaked Chardonnay, their 2014
Reserve “Pure” Chardonnay. This is a
great example of ripe tropical fruit with
minerality and a crisp acid structure,
which makes this wine great for pairing
with seafood. Oysters anyone?
If you get the chance to taste a single
producer’s oak versus non-oak styles of
Chardonnay, go for it! I love comparing
styles from individual producers, and this
is a great way to explore more the style
of wines you prefer and understand how
winemaking impacts the flavors of a grape
variety. Just remember, there is no right or
wrong way to enjoy Chardonnay. Cheers!
Alicia Cuadra is a Wine Educator and
Consultant in the Monterey Bay. She is a
certified Sommelier, Certified Specialist of
Wine and Italian Wine Professional. Follow
her blog at AliciaSeesWine.com and on
social media @AliciaSeesWine.
gmhtoday.com
65