Uncharged Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc have a similar range of flavor profiles and textures, although Sauvignon Blanc is slightly more acidic and vegetable-based. Unsoaked Chardonnay is bright and fresh, with a soft mouth feeling in the center of the tongue. Raw Chardonnay tastes like fresh fruit from the garden, such as green apples, golden apples and ripe red pears. But while woody Chardonnay remains popular, off-season wine shows off the crisp side of the grapes.
Unoaked chardonnay is a chardonnay that has been aged in barrels not made of oak. The material used instead is often steel. The material of the container used for aging matters because it imparts flavor to the wine within. In the case of oak, wine often acquires undertones of butter and vanilla.
Chardonnay is not the only white wine, much less the only wine that is oak and not aged. You can choose a traditional oak Chardonnay and enjoy its vanilla and butter notes, or you can dive into an unbaked naked Chardonnay, which is more fruity, spicy and mineral. Here are our top recommendations for Chardonnay wine in general, and what pairs best with oak or unrefined Chardonnay flavors. Chardonnay is a fresh white wine with a fruity character.
The Texture and Aroma of Chardonnay and Their Source
The creamy texture and aroma of oak chardonnay are the result of a natural chemical process called malolactic fermentation, which occurs when the wine is stored in oak barrels. Winemakers sometimes perform malolactic fermentation of Chardonnay (which occurs in the tank after the first fermentation), which converts the acid in the wine from the harder malic acid (the same acid found in green apples) It is more oily lactic acid (a type of bacteria is more common).
It should be noted that not all off-season Chardonnay can pass MLF, and most aged Chardonnay can, so it is difficult to distinguish a slight oily texture from the oily vanilla oak fragrance. If Chardonnay is aged elsewhere and then stored in oak barrels, it has a much smaller effect on the flavor profile than the actual Chardonnay that is aged and fermented in oak barrels.
The biggest difference in taste of a wine depends on whether it is aged from oak or stainless steel – oak or raw. Sometimes winemakers ferment part of a batch of wine in oak and the rest in stainless steel, and then combine both to create a specific flavor profile.
If wine is placed in oak barrels (often new barriques) and subjected to a process called malolactic fermentation, it is considered oak, otherwise, if wine is stored in stainless steel containers, plastic vats or concrete vats, it is considered not prepared.
In addition, oak wine will often be quickly identified on blind tasting because it takes on a particular texture that is often described as buttery, creamy, or even smooth or waxy.
The Effects of Oak Bottling on Chardonnay
Typically, for almost all wines, a non-blackened bottle will be more mineral or fruity, and an oak bottle will be creamier and more oily, as is the case with Chardonnay. If you prefer your white wine to be drier and more mineralized, you should consider a bottle of raw Chardonnay rather than the more popular oak variety.
In addition, unrefined Chardonnay will have a fresher fruity flavor and is generally more suitable for eating.
Oak Chardonnay has absorbed the aromas of the toasted oak barrels in which it was placed, so it goes especially well with the aromas of fried foods such as roasted nuts, puff pastries, grilled or smoked meats and vegetables.
Review of a Particular non-Woody Chardonnay
Oyster Bay Chardonnay is a famous house with a rich scent of cool weather, it is a delightful breath of fresh air that embodies a unique style.
Its strong and refreshing aromas are conveyed by a subtle note of oak, which gives the wine a delicate texture. Its incredible versatility provides a sophisticated and mature champagne as well as an enviable and pure white burgundy.
This non-woody Chardonnay is a refreshing contrast to many of these mature and strong red breeders. It has fruity notes of lemon and citrus with a yellow apple base. Like most potable oak Chardonnays, this Chardonnay is blended with a portion of the Chardonnay fermented into steel to give it a quicker freshness. This was one of the first raw American chardonnays I tasted, and I was delighted with the tremendous floral character and white peach notes in this wine.
This is a great choice for those looking for a fruity but balanced medium-bodied white. Schild Estate 2019 Chardonnay Unwooded (Barossa Valley); $17, 92 points. Well, Chardonnay is a greasy, fruity and delicious white wine that we like very much.
Pairing Chardonnay with Dishes
Chardonnay is tricky, and pairing it with dishes that are too sweet, too spicy, or too salty is a quick way to make your wine taste imperfect. Although too much acid will completely destroy the taste of aged Chardonnay, it is possible to add some acidity to the uncoiled bottle.
This wine has a slight sweetness and a long lasting aroma of juicy ripe poached pears. This is a medium-bodied wine, elegant and balanced, with crunchy lemon and green apple flavors, fine and spicy texture.
For less than ten dollars a bottle, you may sound suspicious (unambiguous wines may be dubious), but Meridian has a consistently fresh character, citrus, green apple and tropical Chardonnay notes with a balance of just a little oak (half fermented grapes in American and French oak barrels).
Cooler wine climates such as Sonoma, California; Loire and Chablis, France; Western Australia; Colchagua and Casablanca Valley, Chile; and Oregon are famous for their high quality unbaked chardonnay. In general, with many exceptions, Chardonnay from some regions is usually raw (eg Macon Village and Chablis), while others tend to have a fresh oak influence (eg California and Australia).
When you look at it on the shelf or on the Internet, you are looking for certain keywords that tell you that Chardonnay is not made. Their bottles are a mix of woody, micro woody and non-woody varieties, so everyone can find something that suits them. Ask our in-store experts which Rodney Strong Chardonnay wine is best for you.
Issues in Winemaking Related to Chardonnay
Chardonnay is the most cultivated wine grape in the world and is sold in all price ranges. Chardonnay gained its controversial reputation in the 1980s and 1990s, when winemakers heavily vinified the wines, resulting in wines affectionately called “butter balls” because of their strong buttery taste.
But Chardonnay grapes have a lot of tricks up their sleeve, and as such, the unprocessed Chardonnay variety began to gain popularity due to its opposition to oak. During the 1980s and 1990s, as Chardonnay became more and more popular, New World wineries, mostly in California, aged their wines in oak barrels as if they were out of fashion.
Aged in barrels using new woods is common in all fine red wines, but only selectively applied to some white wines such as chardonnay, viognier and sometimes sauvignon blanc-based blends.
As a result, Chardonnay changed from a sour taste to a buttery taste. It is left in steel, concrete or plastic containers and has never undergone a chemical process (malolactic fermentation) that converts the fruity aroma of wine (due to malic acid) into the creamy and buttery aroma of milk (due to lactic acid). This French native is from Burgundy, where white wine varieties are most often grown.
