Buy Chardonnay Wine Online Ireland

Chardonnay is the world's most widely planted white grape variety and one of its most versatile. Its strength lies in its malleability: a naturally neutral grape that can be grown in cool, moderate and warm climates, it takes on the character of its terroir and its winemaker's choices more clearly than almost any other variety, with a spectrum of flavours that mirrors its range, from the lean, mineral austerity of Chablis to rich, buttery white Burgundy. The winemaker's techniques shape the style: barrel or steel-tank fermentation (oaked or unoaked); bâtonnage, stirring the wine on its lees to give complex, biscuity flavours; and malolactic conversion, which softens acidity. Unoaked Chardonnay gives pure fruit and freshness, while oak-fermented Chardonnay gains richness, texture, toast and complexity. These techniques take the wine beyond primary fruit flavours towards subtler secondary ones. The heartland of Chardonnay is Burgundy, from Chablis in the north through the Côte de Beaune to the Mâconnais (Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé, Viré-Clessé), and it is one of the grapes of Champagne. Our range also takes in the Languedoc and Limoux, Spain's Navarra and Calatayud, Italy, and Australia's Victoria and Western Australia. At Wines Direct we stock Chardonnay across the full spectrum of styles, from nervy Chablis to generous white Burgundy to vibrant New World expressions.