Editing Chardonnay (section)

===Burgundy===
{{See also|Burgundy wine}}
[[File:Harvest in Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume 1.jpg|thumb|left|Harvesting Chardonnay in the Chablis Premier Cru of Fourchaume]]
Chardonnay is one of the dominant grapes in Burgundy, though Pinot noir vines outnumber it by nearly a three-to-one ratio. In addition to Chablis, Chardonnay is found in the [[Côte d'Or (escarpment)|Côte d'Or]] (largely in the [[Côte de Beaune]]), as well as the [[Côte Chalonnaise]] and [[Mâconnais]]. It is grown in eight [[List of Burgundy Grand Crus|''grand cru'' vineyards]]; The "Montrachets"-[[Montrachet]], [[Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet]], [[Bâtard-Montrachet]], [[Chevalier-Montrachet]], and [[Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet]], as well as [[Charlemagne (wine)|Charlemagne]], [[Corton-Charlemagne]], and [[Le Musigny]]. In addition to being the most expensive, the Burgundy examples of Chardonnay were long considered the benchmark standard of expressing ''terroir'' through Chardonnay. The Montrachets are noted for their high [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] levels, often above 13%, as well as deep concentration of flavors. The vineyards around [[Chassagne-Montrachet]] tend to have a characteristic [[hazelnut]] aroma to them, while those of [[Puligny-Montrachet]] have more steely flavors. Both ''grand cru'' and ''premier cru'' examples from Corton-Charlemagne have been known to demonstrate [[marzipan]], while Meursault wines tend to be the most round and buttery examples.<ref name="Oxford pg 154-156"/>

South of the Côte d'Or are the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais wine regions. The villages of [[Mercurey]], [[Montagny-lès-Buxy]], and [[Rully, Saône-et-Loire|Rully]] are the largest producers of Chardonnay in the Côte Chalonnaise, with the best-made examples rivaling those of the Côte de Beaune. In the Mâconnais, white wine production is centered on the town of [[Mâcon]] and the [[Pouilly-Fuissé]] region. The full-[[body (wine)|bodied]] wines of the Pouilly-Fuissé have long held [[cult wine]] status with prices that can rival the ''grand cru'' white burgundies. Further south, in the region of [[Beaujolais]], Chardonnay has started to replace [[Aligoté]] as the main white wine grape and is even replacing [[Gamay]] in some areas around [[Saint-Véran (Beaujolais)|Saint-Véran]].<ref name="Oxford pg 154-156"/> With the exception of Pouilly-Fuissé, the wines of the Mâconnais are the closest Burgundy example to "New World" Chardonnay, though it is not identical. Typically, Mâcon blanc, basic Bourgogne, Beaujolais blanc, and Saint-Véran are meant to be consumed within two to three years of release. However, many of the well-made examples of white Burgundy from the Côte d'Or need at least three years in the bottle to develop enough to express the aromas and character of the wine. Hazelnut, [[licorice]], and [[spice]] are some of the flavors that can develop as these wines [[Aging of wine|age]].<ref name="Rob pg 101-106"/>