Just think about it, the word "sárdonéj" rolls off our tongue as if we had absorbed it with mother's milk, like a familiar cooing, as if a warm palm were gently stroking our back. It soothes and embraces us like a fluffy blanket, or fires us up for battle like the haka for Maori warriors. Of course, we're not alone in this, since chardonnay is a global variety, and that's no coincidence!
The thing is, this grape variety born in Burgundy is relatively easy to grow, and the flavor profile of the wine made from it is neutral enough to mainly convey the terroir, whatever that means...
Alright, we can't resist, here comes a quick primer: the French word terroir is a concept that the proud Gauls don't just include the nowadays very trendy bedrock (how many times do we see winemakers showing stones at tastings!), but also the soil, the climate, the precipitation, the annual heat sum, the sunlight, and even the person—the winemaker—because wine is not just the sum of these factors (obviously expressed by the grape), but also a decision, the winemaker's decision about what they want to show from it.
So if the winemaker decides, chardonnay can be chalky-mineral or explosively volcanic; the former means chalky, the latter more flint-like flavors, except on basalt, where it mostly reminds us of a soaked Mediterranean herb bouquet.
Then, of course, it can simply be citrusy, but if fermented or aged in barrels, it can also be woody, which doesn't mean literal woodiness but rather vanilla flavors, maybe caramel, and in extreme cases smoked bacon. (Oh yes, dear reader, you read that right!)
Moreover, the world has relatively well learned a chardonnay style made with the so-called battonage technique. This is nothing other than wine kept on the lees (that is, the dead yeasts) in the barrel or tank, stirred up from time to time to resuspend the settled sediment. This gives the wine a creamy, soft structure, often complemented by buttery, popcorn-like aromas. So if our chardonnay wine reminds you of the popcorn at the mall cinema, then we're right on track—you can flaunt your newly acquired knowledge and turn your partner's head! Just whisper softly in their ear (this tip is free and always works) "battonage," while slowly lifting your gaze from the wine to their face, then comes the kiss, the proposal, and the blessing of children…
Did you know?
Chardonnay grape variety even has its own day, on May 26th, the International Chardonnay Day! On this day, everyone happily toasts with chardonnay, from Spain to Argentina, from South Africa to Etyek.
We also have a great offer for you! Get a bottle of chardonnay from the webshop today, toast with it, and if you feel like it, take a photo of the result and upload it to Instagram with the following hashtags: #ChardonnÉJ #EtyekiKúria
