Chardonnay around the world

A growing category beyond Bacchus — still Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and blends, viable as growing-season warmth has increased.

Against its siblings: lighter, sweeter, fresher and more acidic.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Unoaked Chardonnay from the coolest corner of Burgundy: citrus, green apple, high acidity and a distinctly saline finish.

Against its siblings: fresher and more acidic, leaner and more cutting.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Garganega from volcanic hills near Verona: subtle, almond-scented and far better than its bulk-wine reputation.

Against its siblings: leaner and more cutting.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.

Jura whites made either topped-up and fresh, or deliberately oxidative — two opposite philosophies from one cellar.

Against its siblings: fresher and more acidic.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Oak ageing. Extended time in barrel adds spice and structure and slowly softens tannin.

The style that defined "buttery Chardonnay" — ripe stone fruit, vanilla and cream — though the best modern examples are far more restrained.

Against its siblings: more oaky, softer and rounder, rounder and creamier in texture.

• Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
• Prominent oak. Barrel ageing adds vanilla, toast and spice, and rounds the texture.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Barrel-fermented Chardonnay from the Côte de Beaune and Mâconnais — the model every serious oaked Chardonnay in the world is measured against.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

A category deliberately reset from heavy and oaky to taut and citrus-driven — now one of the best-value serious whites in the world.

• Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Italy’s most textural dry whites, from Collio and Colli Orientali — more weight and structure than the Italian norm.

Against its siblings: more tannic and structured.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.

Taut, citrus-driven Chardonnay from Kumeu, Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough — consistently undervalued.

• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Increasingly taut and mineral, particularly from the limestone-influenced Limarí Valley.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

The benchmark traditional-method sparkling wine: high acidity, fine bubbles and bready autolytic complexity from long lees ageing.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Traditional-method sparkling from the three Champagne grapes on southern English chalk — high acidity, green apple and citrus, with bready lees complexity.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Spain’s traditional-method sparkling wine: bottle-fermented and lees-aged like Champagne, at a fraction of the price.

• Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Traditional-method French sparkling wine made outside Champagne, from Alsace, the Loire, Burgundy, Limoux and elsewhere.

• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

English traditional-method sparkling from Chardonnay alone — the leanest and most precise expression.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Pink traditional-method sparkling from Pinot Noir and Meunier — red-fruited, high in acid and better with food than its reputation.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Italy’s benchmark traditional-method sparkling wine, from Lombardy, with lees-ageing requirements exceeding non-vintage Champagne.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

South Africa’s traditional-method sparkling wine — bottle-fermented, lees-aged and consistently strong value.

• Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Bottle-fermented sparkling, largely from Tasmania — the cool-climate backbone of Australian fizz.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Austria’s sparkling wine, governed since 2015 by a three-tier quality pyramid — Klassik, Reserve and Grosse Reserve.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Bottle-fermented sparkling from cool Californian sites, several of them founded by Champagne houses.

• Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

A breakaway collective mark used by Penedès producers who left Cava, with stricter self-imposed rules.

• Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

German sparkling wine, covering everything from industrial tank-method fizz to serious traditional-method Riesling Sekt.

• Cool climate. Slower ripening tends to retain acidity and hold alcohol down, and green or citrus notes survive where a warmer site would ripen them away.
• Traditional method. A second fermentation in the bottle, with the wine held on its lees — the source of both the fine bead and the bready complexity.
• Lees ageing. Time on spent yeast adds texture, breadth and a savoury, bready depth.

Botrytised sweet wines from around the Neusiedlersee — reliable, high in acid, and consistently better value than Sauternes.

• Noble rot. Botrytis cinerea dehydrates the berry and adds its own honey and marmalade character alongside the concentrated sugar.
• Residual sugar. Fermentation stopped before all the sugar was consumed, which softens acidity and changes what the wine can be drunk with.