Editing Chardonnay (section)

==Winemaking==
Chardonnay lends itself to almost any style of wine making from dry still wines, to sparkling wines to sweet late harvest and even [[botrytized]] wines (though its susceptibility to other less favorable rot makes these wines rarer). The two winemaking decisions that most widely affect the result of a Chardonnay wine is whether or not to use [[malolactic fermentation]] and the degree of [[oak (wine)|oak influence]] used for the wine. With malolactic fermentation (or MLF), the harder [[malic acid]] gets converted into the softer [[lactic acid]], and [[diacetyl]] which creates the "[[butter]]y-ness" that is associated with some styles of Chardonnay.<ref>{{cite web |title=Diacetyl |url=http://www.ecmdb.ca/compounds/ECMDB21446 |work=E.coli Metabolome Database |publisher=ECMDB |access-date=20 October 2013}}</ref> The wines that do not go through MLF will have more green (unripe) apple-like flavors. Oak can be introduced during [[fermentation (wine)|fermentation]] or after in the form of the [[aging barrel|barrel aging]].<ref name="Oxford pg 154-156"/> Depending on the amount of charring that the oak was treated with, this can introduce a "toastiness" and flavors that many wine drinkers mistake as a [[Typicity|characteristic]] of the grape itself. These flavors can include [[caramel (aroma)|caramel]], [[cream]], [[smoke]], [[spice]], [[coconut]], [[cinnamon]], [[cloves]] and [[vanilla]].<ref name="Spectator">D. Sogg "[http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Archives/Show_Article/0,1275,3302,00.html White Wines, New Barrels: The taste of new oak gains favor worldwide] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122140514/http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Archives/Show_Article/0,1275,3302,00.html |date=2008-11-22}}" Wine Spectator. July 31, 2001.</ref>
[[File:Oak chips in chardonnay.jpg|left|thumb|220px|[[Oak chips]] in fermenting Chardonnay]]
Other winemaking decisions that can have a significant effect include the temperature of fermentation and what time, if any, that the wine allowed to spend aging on the [[lees (fermentation)|lees]]. Burgundian winemaking tends to favor extended contact on the lees and even "stirring up" the lees within the wine while it is aging in the barrel in a process known as ''bâtonnage''. Colder fermentation temperatures produce more "tropical" fruit flavors like [[mango]] and [[pineapple]].<ref name="Clarke pg 63-73"/> The "Old World" style of winemaking favors the use of wild, or ambient [[yeast]], though some will also use specially cultivated yeast that can impart aromatic qualities to the wine. A particular style of yeast used in Champagne is the ''Prise de Mousse'' that is cultivated for use worldwide in sparkling Chardonnay wines. A potential drawback of using wild yeast is that the fermentation process can go very slowly with the results of the yeasts being very unpredictable and producing potentially a very different wine each year. One Burgundian winemaker that favors the use of only wild yeast is [[Domaine des Comtes Lafon]] which had the fermentation of its 1963 Chardonnay batch take five years to complete when the fermentation process normally only takes a matter of weeks.<ref name="Clarke pg 63-73"/>

[[File:Preparing Chardonnay sample bottles for bench trials.JPG|right|thumb|Winemaker conducting fining bench trails on Chardonnay samples]]
The time of harvesting is a crucial decision because the grape quickly begins to lose acidity as it ripens. For [[sparkling wine production]], the grapes will be harvested early and slightly unripe to maintain the acid levels. Sparkling Chardonnay-based wines tend to exhibit more floral and steely flavors in their youth. As the wine ages, particularly if it spends significant time on lees, the wines will develop "toasty" notes.<ref name="Rob pg 101-106"/> Chardonnay grapes usually have little trouble developing sugar content, even in cooler climates, which translates into high potential alcohol levels and limits the need for [[chaptalization]]. On the flip side, low acid levels can be a concern which make the wine taste "flabby" and dull. Winemakers can counteract this by adding [[tartaric acid]] in a process known as "acidification". In cooler climates, the extract and acidity of Chardonnay is magnified which has the potential of producing very concentrated wines that can develop through bottle aging.<ref name="Robinson pg 106-113"/> Chardonnay can blend well with other grapes and still maintain some of its unique character. The grapes most often blended with Chardonnay include Chenin blanc, Colombard and Sémillon.<ref name="Oxford pg 154-156"/>

===Wine style===
[[File:Russian river chard.jpg|left|thumb|An unoaked Chardonnay from the Russian River]]
Due to the "malleability" of Chardonnay in winemaking and its ability to reflect its ''terroir'', there is not one distinct universal "style" or set of constants that could be applied to Chardonnay made across the globe. According to [[Jancis Robinson]], a sense of "smokiness" is one clue that could be picked up in a [[blind tasting]] of Chardonnay but there are many styles that do not have any "smokey" notes. Compared to other white wine grapes like Sauvignon blanc, [[Gewürztraminer]] and Viognier-Chardonnay has a more subtle and muted nose with no overwhelming aromatics that jump out of the wine glass. The identifying styles of Chardonnay are regionally based. For example, pineapple notes are more commonly associated with Chardonnay from Napa Valley while Chablis will have more notes of green apples.<ref name="Robinson pg 106-113"/> While many examples of Chardonnay can benefit from a few years of bottle aging, especially if they have high acidity, most Chardonnays are meant to be consumed in their youth. A notable exception to this is the most premium examples of Chablis and white Burgundies.<ref name="Rob pg 101-106"/>