Chardonnay is more complex than you think.
By Jim Law • Photographs by Molly McDonald Peterson
© Molly McDonald Peterson
There is more acreage of Chardonnay in Virginia than of any other variety, and this reflects a national trend: Chardonnay is the most widely sold variety in the U.S. Arguably, it makes some of the most complex and age-worthy white wines in the world and receives the highest prices. Then why is it Virginia’s wallflower wine?
As with so many varietals that have become popular in the marketplace, Chardonnay has been associated with cheap, massproduced versions. Most Americans are not aware that white Burgundies are made from Chardonnay grapes. This region is the origin and apex of what great Chardonnay can be. Over many centuries, Burgundians have learned which parcels (terroir) consistently produce their greatest wines.
The Vine
A relatively easy-to-grow and very adaptable vine, Chardonnay thrives in both cool and hot climates and is happy in many different soils. This adaptability has made Chardonnay ubiquitous. Almost every emerging winegrowing region includes a Chardonnay in its stable.
The majority of old vineyards in Virginia are Chardonnay. Linden’s oldest planting is 26 years old, and there are others in the state that are even older. We are still fine-tuning our Chardonnay vineyards, and we’ve found that cooler sites at higher elevations seem to give the most character.
Over the past decade, the trend internationally has been toward planting the French Dijon Chardonnay clones. These vines have small clusters, which can be good for quality but often lack acidity in warmer vintages. At Linden we are now experimenting with some of the Wente (California) clones that retain more natural acidity.
The Cellar
Chardonnay is often referred to as the winemaker’s grape. It has a subtle aroma and flavor profile but can possess alluring textures often combined with great acidity. It is a wine that can be easily and successfully manipulated in the right hands: Native yeast fermentation, cool stainless-steel fermentation, warm oak fermentation, lees aging, malolactic fermentation, and oxidative or reductive winemaking are all acceptable techniques.
The Styles
Chardonnay’s regional adaptability in the vineyard and malleability in the cellar result in a myriad of styles that often confuse the public. Most Americans first got acquainted with lowcost California or Australian Chardonnay
Unfortunately, that sweet, low-acid, oak-infused hedonistic style has become the standard bearer.
I like to categorize three general styles of Chardonnay:
Hedonistic. This is a style that California does well and Virginia struggles with. These are the blowsy, blockbuster wines that pile on most of the cellar techniques available. They have lots of oak and alcohol and are soft and buttery from malolactic fermentations and lees contact. These get your attention immediately—like Mae West or Marilyn Monroe—but can eventually become tiresome due to their monolithic profile and weight. Wine judges, who only spend a few minutes with each wine, are impressed and often award these wines gold medals.
This style requires very ripe, concentrated grapes, which is difficult to consistently achieve in Virginia’s climate. In the bad old days, Virginia winemakers attempted this style using grapes more appropriate for the refreshing style (below). The result reminded me of a naturally pretty teenage girl experimenting unsuccessfully with makeup.
Refreshing. This is what Virginia does very well: pretty, fruitdriven aromas with low to moderate alcohols, fresh acidity, and little or no oak. These are wines that everyone is comfortable with—like the girl next door, to continue the metaphor. Because these are usually made from higher-yielding vineyards and simple winemaking, they are attractively priced. In wine competitions, they are often awarded silver medals, as they do what wine is supposed to do: refresh the palate and delight the nose. These are great food wines, especially with lighter summer fare.
Terroir. This is the holy grail of serious Chardonnay producers. In Burgundy, Chardonnay is seen as the vehicle for expressing a specific site’s characteristic or terroir. This style has a concentration from the sap of the vine and the minerality of the soil. These wines are shy at first but then evolve and develop in the glass. They are “come hither” wines.
This style of Chardonnay requires age—vine age, winegrower age, wine age, and consumer age. Vines need to be in the ground for some time before they can fully express terroir. I find that when a vine’s age reaches double digits, the resulting wines are more interesting. A winegrower also needs to age with these vines to understand the nuances of the site and the personality of the vineyard. Wines made in a terroir-driven style need bottle age, too, as they are typically closed, tight, and often reduced when young.
These are wines of contemplation. They are not cocktail wines. Consumers need to give them their full attention and to observe the wines as they evolve and change over the course of a meal. It is for this reason that these wines are overlooked in wine competitions. These are the Meryl Streeps and Cate Blanchetts of Chardonnay—complex, reserved, intellectual, and long-lived. Virginia has the potential to make great terroir-driven Chardonnays, but these wines require a fanatical dedication to the vineyard that can only come with focus and time.
Winemaker Jim Law is the owner and winegrower of Linden Vineyards in Fauquier County.
