Tag Archives: Chardonnay

Niagara Chardonnay

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White Burgundy still ranks high among the wine world’s famed grape varieties, and the benchmark styles from its namesake terroir remain a gold standard. We’re of course referencing Chardonnay. It’s also done very well in California, where climate and drinking taste converged in the 20th century, providing a cornerstone for a young wine industry to develop. The widespread popularity of particular wine styles is subject to cycles. A rapid rise for Chardonnay as a staple table wine in North America was followed by a degree of consumer fatigue—expressed in a somewhat derisive and unfortunate acronym: ABC (‘anything but Chardonnay’). Within the broad range of finishing styles that includes sparkling and still wines, the world’s most planted white wine grape is enduring and defying fickle fashion.

Finished Chardonnay is a definitive winemaker’s wine in that the characteristics commonly associated with it: highly aromatic, a buttery mouthfeel, tropical or stone fruit flavours, notes of vanilla, etc.—are all methodically coaxed results from a relatively neutral grape. From time to time, the experimentation has translated into an individual characteristic overshadowing others. As Chardonnay is one rare example of a white wine being suitable for barrel ageing, overly oaked versions of less-select grape harvests contributed to the decline in reputation and desirability for more discerning drinkers. With the development of the grape in other cooler climate vineyards, fresh and vibrant expressions of Chardonnay are more common again, and arguably, more faithful to the originating style from Burgundy. The DéClassé recommended G. Marquis The Silver Line Chardonnay 2016, is a balanced reinterpretation—from the skilled winemakers in Canada’s Niagara Escarpment region.

Exclusively providing the fruit for this week’s selection, the Stone Road Vineyard is a 25-acre parcel that’s bordered by the climate tempering influence of Lake Ontario—one of the world’s largest freshwater bodies. Inland of the shoreline, deposits of loose sandy-loam soil promote vigorous growth of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay grapes, while the microclimate conditions allow these varieties a sufficiently long growing season. G. Marquis is the premium brand line offered by the Magnotta Winery, and it’s now available in greater stock levels at the LCBO in the Vintages section. The personal care of hand-picking, sorting and six months of ageing in French-American hybrid oak casks is self-evident, so if you’re uncertain of where Niagara wines are in their quality evolution at this price-point, this noteworthy example speaks volumes!

G. MARQUIS THE SILVER LINE CHARDONNAY 2016
VINTAGES/LCBO – Product #258681 | 750 mL bottle
Price $17.95
12.5 % Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content Descriptor: XD

Made in Niagara, Canada
By: Magnotta Winery
Release Date: April 3, 2018

Tasting Note
This soft, dry white wine falls into the mid-weight category of barrel-fermented Chardonnay with spice and herb-accented flavours of baked apple, melon, and ripe pear. Try serving alongside roasted or grilled pork loin, chicken, salmon steaks or pasta dishes and cream sauces.

Languedoc-Roussillon Chardonnay

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The European Union reclassified wine grading in 2011 to streamline the wide-ranging, comparative designations. In France, this now breaks down as AOP Appellation d’Origine Protégée, a premier classification with a fairly strict set of requirements; IGP Indication Géographique Protégée, the intermediate category with more flexible guidelines and a greater diversity of permitted varieties, and lastly, Vin de France, the most generic designation; allowing for the practice of cuvée — the blending of wine batches sourced from different growing regions.

Languedoc-Roussillon is by far the biggest and most prolific IGP zone, whose 2,700 wine producers are tending to approx. 245,000 hectares of vineyard. It also provides the namesake of d’Oc into the classification, likely derived from Lange d’Oc, one of two still actively spoken Provençal languages whose historical and cultural roots lie in the formerly independent kingdom of Aquitaine. Present day boundaries stretch between the Spanish frontier to the west, the Loire to the north, the Rhône region of the Gard to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea.

domaine-lafage

Flourishing in a diverse set of global regions, Chardonnay can be finished in a broad range of styles. In Languedoc-Roussillon, apart from generally being a hot and dry zone that yields fully mature grapes, the easy-drinking Chardonnay style being produced is decidedly on the lighter and fresh side of the sliding scale. In the 45 years from the comprehensive overhaul that was begun in the early 1970’s, which saw the replacing of unremarkable vine stock with Noble Grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Viognier, there has also been a steady commitment to quality development while maintaining prices at competitive and attractive levels. Though it’s edging toward the upper tier of price-point for white wines in this humble corner of southern France, and relative to what one might expect for comparable quality wine in not-so-distant Burgundy — at $17.95, this bottling of Lafage Novellum Chardonnay 2014 is nonetheless fairly priced; outstanding value, and most importantly — delicious!

A 70% majority of this wine is aged in stainless steel, while the remainder sees the mild influence of wood; imparted during two months spent in second-use Oak barrels. What’s particularly novel in the multi-step finishing of ‘Novellum’ is that it also spends 3 months resting on the ‘lees’ (expired yeast) of a previously fermented batch of Viognier wine, which was filtered out and then transferred to the Chardonnay. It’s another one of the details that set this dynamic vinicultural partnership of Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage apart from the more conservative, less-innovative, more-expensive wine-making crowd. Dictionaries say that Novellum is a latin adjective meaning: new, young, fresh, etc. I’ll add that it could also mean: will thrill your guests’ palettes alongside Thanksgiving food fare!

lafage-novellum

NOVELLUM CHARDONNAY 2014
VINTAGES – LCBO Product #390781 | 750 mL bottle
Price $ 17.95
13% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content Descriptor: D

Made in Midi, France
By: Lafage
Release Date: October 1, 2016

Tasting Note
This medium-bodied white wine is marked by tropical/stone fruit aromas and flavours wrapped around some refreshing acidity and mineral notes. Try serving with roasted goose and a squash risotto, herb-crusted turkey with rosemary/thyme, spiced apple and sausage filled chicken or Cornish hen and stove top sage stuffing.

Chardonnay Alert

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In 2011, the European Union reclassified wine in an effort to streamline the too
wide-ranging, comparative designations. In France, this now breaks down as AOP Appellation d’Origine Protégée: the premier classification with a fairly strict set of requirements; IGP Indication Géographique Protégée: an intermediate category
with more flexible regulations and a greater diversity of permitted grape varieties,
and lastly, Vin de France: a more generic designation that allows cuvée (blending)
of wines sourced from different French regions.

Languedoc-Roussillon is by far the biggest and most prolific IGP region, whose
2,800 wine producers are drawing on approx. 200,000 hectares of vineyard.
It also provides the namesake of d’Oc into the classification, likely derived from
Lange d’Oc: one of two still actively spoken Provençal languages, whose historic
and cultural roots lie in the formerly independent kingdom of Aquitaine. Present
day boundaries stretch between the Spanish frontier to the west, the Loire to
the north, the Rhône region of the Gard to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Slightly over 90% of all Pays d’Oc IGP bottling is varietal wine though the grape
varieties employed in the modern age bear little resemblance to those planted by
Greek traders in the 5th century. Nonetheless, these are widely acknowledged as France’s oldest vineyards, producing many of the country’s best value wines. As
for Chardonnay, the latter descriptor is certainly the case now, 45 years on from
the comprehensive overhaul that was undertaken in the early 1970’s, replacing
large areas of unremarkable vine stock with noble grape varieties such as Cab Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Viognier. Despite some rising and falling of commercial success, there’s been a steady commitment to quality-advancement
while maintaining competitive and attractive price-points.

Flourishing in a diverse set of global regions, Chardonnay can be finished in a
broad range of styles; influenced equally by climate and the variable traditions at
work in its source terroir. In Languedoc-Roussillon, apart from being a generally
hot and dry zone that yields fully mature grapes, the easy-drinking Chardonnay
style being produced here is decidedly on the lighter side of the sliding scale. As
for this week’s DéClassé featured wine: Villa Blanche Chardonnay from vintner
Calmel & Joseph – this is a delightful virtue. Their fruit is harvested in staggered
batches to maintain a balance of brightness and body, and since only about 30%
of the vintage is barrel-aged for three months, the oak presence is integrated.

This will unlikely be the richest or complex Chardonnay you’ve tasted, but it will
be an enjoyable, easy-going and satisfying partner for brunch or lighter, dinner
food-fare. Note that this perennial, regular listing favourite might be tucked into
the LCBO’s somewhat more exclusive Vintages section. That says a great deal
about this overachieving offering. Buy one, then if you’re inclined – half a case!

Villa Blanche

CALMEL & JOSEPH VILLA BLANCHE CHARDONNAY 2014
LCBO Product #375071 | 750 mL bottle
Price $ 13.95
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content Descriptor: XD

Made in: Roussillon, France
By: Calmel & Joseph
Release Date: September 5, 2015

Tasting Note
As expected from the region, this medium-bodied, light green-yellow wine has
pear and grapefruit aromas along with some delicate touches of vanilla and
butter flavour. A natural complement to oysters and mussels, you might also
try with Cassoulet: the signature dish of beans, sausage and confit of duck.

White Burgundy Alert

Posted on by

White Burgundy still ranks among the wine world’s most famous grape varieties
and the benchmark styles from its native terroir remain a gold standard. We’re
of course referencing Chardonnay. It has also done very well in California, where
climate and drinking tastes converged in the 20th century, providing a significant
cornerstone upon which a young wine industry was initially built-up, then broadly
diversified. Widespread popularity of particular wine styles is subject to cycles. A
rapid rise for Chardonnay as a staple table wine in North America, was followed
by a degree of consumer fatigue, clearly expressed in a somewhat derisive and
unfortunate acronym: ABC ‘anything but chardonnay’. Within the vast range of
possible finishing styles that includes both dry sparkling and still wines, this, the
world’s most planted white grape, is enduring and defying fickle fashion.

Finished Chardonnay is a definitive winemaker’s wine, in that the characteristics
commonly associated with it: being highly aromatic, having a buttery mouthfeel,
tropical or stonefruit flavoured body, notes of vanilla – are all the carefully coaxed
results of how this relatively neutral grape is methodically fashioned. From time
to time, this has translated into excesses of one aspect overshadowing others.
As this is also one rarer example of a white wine being suitable for barrel aging,
overly Oaked versions of less-select grape harvests, did for a time, contribute to
the decline in reputation and desirability for ever-more discerning drinkers. With
development of the grape in other cooler climate vineyards, fresh and vibrant
expressions of Chardonnay are more common again and arguably, truer to the
originating style from Burgundy. This week’s DéClassé recommended bottle is a
balanced classic and more than deserving of a revisit and re-appreciation.

The Mâconnais do have an indisputable expertise with this wine and their lighter
touch in production allows the more natural character of the fruit to shine. Their
practiced traditions with Chardonnay reach well back into the middle ages when
Mâcon was the heart of the Duchy of Burgundy. Some of France’s oldest lineage
of vines are found here, having begun a sustained cultivation, not surprisingly, by
monks as early as the 5th century. Flash forward to modern times and the region
is still outputting great, signature examples. This is one, where you will rue not
having picked up a second bottle, to enjoy with guests after having polished off
the first – Gold Medal, 2014 Concours Général Agricole in Paris.

Macon Vinzelles

CAVE DES GRANDS CRUS BLANC MACON VINZELLES 2013
VINTAGES – LCBO Product #405795 | 750 mL bottle
Price $ 17.95
13% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content Descriptor: XD

Made in: Burgundy, France
By: Cave Des Grands Crus Blancs
Release Date: Mar. 7, 2015

Tasting Note
This is a wine that can be easily overwhelmed by food choices, so shy away from
heavy meats or anything with an acidic character such as tomatoes. As apéritif,
try with smoked salmon and gruyere cheese. As a main course compliment, try
with roast chicken, pork, fresh fish and pastas in light cream sauces.