Chardonnay: California, Burgundy & English Styles

Chardonnay is a neutral grape. It does not impose a signature flavour the way Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling do. Instead, it takes on the character of wherever it is grown and however it is made. This is why a Chablis from northern Burgundy and an oaked Napa Valley Chardonnay can taste like entirely different wines while being the same variety.

That neutrality makes Chardonnay the most useful grape for understanding how climate, soil, and winemaking decisions shape wine. It is also the most widely planted premium white grape in the world, grown seriously in Burgundy, California, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and increasingly in England.

Burgundy

White Burgundy is Chardonnay, and Burgundy remains the benchmark for the grape at its best. The region divides into two distinct styles based on geography and winemaking tradition.

Chablis, in the cool north, produces unoaked Chardonnay on Kimmeridgian limestone, a fossil-rich soil that gives the wines a pronounced mineral character. The flavour profile runs to green apple, lemon, wet stone, and oyster shell. Acidity is high. The wines are lean and precise rather than generous. Premier Cru Chablis from producers like William Fevre (whose Montee de Tonnerre bottling shows classic flinty minerality at $35 to $50) and Domaine Raveneau (the reference producer, rarely under $80) demonstrates what the appellation can achieve. Entry-level Chablis from a reliable domaine costs $18 to $28 and is one of the better values in French white wine.

Further south, the Cote de Beaune produces a richer style. The villages of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet are planted on limestone slopes and produce Chardonnay aged in French oak barrels. The oak is used with restraint, adding texture and a subtle nutty quality rather than overwhelming the fruit. Domaine Roulot Meursault, widely considered the finest producer in the village, makes wines of extraordinary precision: hazelnut, baked apple, and a saline mineral finish. Bottles start around $80 for village-level and climb steeply. For a more accessible entry to the Cote de Beaune style, Domaine Matrot Meursault ($40 to $55) and Domaine Paul Pernot Puligny-Montrachet ($45 to $65) offer the characteristic richness and mineral backbone at lower prices.

The difference between Chablis and the Cote de Beaune illustrates a broader point about Chardonnay: the same grape, in the same region, produces fundamentally different wines depending on soil, climate, and the presence or absence of oak.

California

California Chardonnay went through a period in the 1980s and 1990s when heavy oak, malolactic fermentation, and high alcohol were the norm. The resulting wines were full of vanilla, butterscotch, and toast. Some people loved them. Many people formed a lasting impression that California Chardonnay meant over-oaked and heavy.

That impression is now outdated. Over the past fifteen years, a generation of California winemakers has shifted toward restraint. Lower alcohol, less new oak, earlier picking, and greater attention to vineyard sites have produced Chardonnays that balance California's natural fruit ripeness with the acidity and mineral character that make white Burgundy compelling.

Sonoma Coast has emerged as one of the strongest regions for this balanced style. Littorai Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast ($55 to $75) is made by Ted Lemon, who trained in Burgundy, and it shows: the wine has citrus, white peach, and a chalky mineral quality without the heavy oak that defined the previous era. Ceritas and Occidental (from Steve Kistler) are producing similarly precise Chardonnay in the $45 to $70 range.

In the Santa Cruz Mountains, Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay ($40 to $55) has been making Burgundy-influenced Chardonnay since the 1970s and remains one of the best examples of California Chardonnay built for ageing rather than immediate pleasure.

Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara grows excellent Chardonnay, particularly in the cooler appellations where marine influence moderates temperatures. The Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills both produce Chardonnay with firm acidity and moderate alcohol, closer in weight to Burgundy than to the heavier Napa style.

The long, cool growing season in Santa Maria Valley allows the grapes to develop flavour complexity while retaining natural acidity. The wines tend toward stone fruit, citrus, and a subtle mineral note from the sandy and clay loam soils. Alcohol levels run 13 to 14 percent, lower than warmer California regions.

Au Bon Climat, founded by Jim Clendenen in 1982, was one of the first Santa Barbara producers to make Burgundy-influenced Chardonnay. The winery's Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay ($25 to $35) remains a benchmark for the region: ripe but balanced, with restrained oak and a long, mineral finish. Presqu'ile Winery in the Santa Maria Valley makes a similar style at $30 to $40, with emphasis on whole-cluster pressing and native yeast fermentation.

In the Sta. Rita Hills, Sanford Winery Chardonnay ($22 to $30) offers clean, citrus-driven Chardonnay at a price that makes it a practical everyday wine. For something more ambitious, Domaine de la Cote (from Rajat Parr) produces Chardonnay with the tension and mineral drive of good Puligny-Montrachet.

England

English winemakers use Chardonnay primarily for sparkling wine, where it functions as the structural backbone of the blend alongside Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The cool English climate produces Chardonnay with very high acidity and subtle fruit, which translates well into sparkling wine with precision and freshness.

A small number of producers also make still Chardonnay. These wines are lean and mineral, similar in weight to Chablis but with their own character. Production is tiny and availability is limited, but still English Chardonnay from producers like Gusbourne and Simpsons is worth seeking out for anyone interested in cool-climate white wine at its most austere.

For more on Chardonnay's role in English sparkling wine, see our guide to English sparkling wine grapes.

Oak, Malolactic, and Winemaking Choices

Because Chardonnay is a neutral grape, winemaking decisions have an outsized effect on the finished wine. Two choices matter more than any others.

Oak ageing adds vanilla, toast, and spice flavours and gives the wine a rounder, creamier texture. New oak has a stronger effect than older barrels. The trend among quality producers worldwide is toward less new oak and more neutral or older barrels, allowing the fruit and terroir to show through. Unoaked Chardonnay, fermented and aged in stainless steel or concrete, tastes crisper and more mineral. Chablis is the reference for this style.

Malolactic fermentation converts sharp malic acid to softer lactic acid, producing the buttery quality associated with many Chardonnays. Full malolactic gives richness and roundness. Blocking it (or doing partial malolactic) preserves crispness and citrus character. Most Burgundy and modern California producers use partial malolactic to achieve balance.

Food Pairing

Chardonnay's range of styles makes it one of the most food-friendly white wines, provided the wine's weight is matched to the dish.

Unoaked and lean styles (Chablis, unoaked Santa Barbara) pair with oysters, raw seafood, grilled white fish, green salads, and fresh goat cheese. The high acidity complements delicate flavours and cuts through richness. Oaked and fuller styles (Meursault, oaked California) suit richer dishes: lobster with butter, roast chicken, mushroom risotto, creamy pasta, and aged hard cheeses. English sparkling Chardonnay works as an aperitif and with lighter seafood, smoked salmon, and soft cheeses.

We carry Chardonnay from Santa Barbara producers working in the balanced, Burgundy-influenced style, as well as English sparkling wines where Chardonnay plays a central role. Browse the current selection at arrowsmithwine.com or email us at info@arrowsmithwine.com.

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