Chardonnay

White variety - Chardonnay

• General: In viticultural terms, Chardonnay is a cosmopolitan. Its cultivation is not dependent on the temperate conditions of its Burgundian homeland, but is found in all climate zones worldwide. With regard to its origin, Chardonnay is often appropriated by the Burgundy family, which is geographically true. The wines from the chalky soils of the Burgundy villages of Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chablis, as well as its share in Champagne cuvées, have helped it to achieve world renown. Genotypically, however, according to DNA analyses, it is the result of a natural cross between Pinot and Gouais Blanc (Heunisch). In terms of the area under cultivation worldwide, Chardonnay is competing with Riesling. In Germany, too, the area under Chardonnay is growing at a rate of about 1.5 %, but without infringing on Riesling. Pioneer wineries in the Palatinate, such as Weingut Rebholz, with collegial connections to France, planted the variety on an experimental basis at the end of the 1980s. Since 1991, Chardonnay has been an official part of the list of varieties.
• Cluster: The cluster is typically cylindrical in shape, often supplemented by one or two shoulders. The predominantly round berries are thin-skinned and greenish-yellow in colour. With increasing ripeness, the berry skin turns golden yellow to amber. With an upright, medium to strong growth, the variety shows reduced stinginess and good wood maturity, as well as satisfactory winter frost hardiness.
• Wine: The Chardonnay is excellently suited for ageing in wooden barrels. Primary fruity wines have a pronounced aroma of honeydew melon, apricot and ripe pineapple. Maturing in barrique complements this spectrum of scents with vanilla, dried fruit, toast and caramel and produces full-bodied, multi-layered wines.
• Cultivation: Chardonnay is demanding in terms of location and site. Warm but well-ventilated sites help it to ripen and reduce fungal pressure. Chardonnay is latently susceptible to oidium. A discreet tendency to trickle speaks in favour of wind-protected sites in order to increase the flowering resistance.