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It's OK to drink Chardonnay
It’s all Bridget’s fault. The first time she ordered a bottle of chardonnay to fuel a girlie summit with Jude and Shazza down at Café Rouge, the reputation of this noble grape started to slide. Five years ago, it was fashionable. But then, along came Bridget, a rash of new wine bars and drinking clubs, and a glut of cheap supermarket plonk. Suddenly, for anyone sitting on a bar stool about to order a bottle of wine, it was the first name that sprang to the lips. It was unimaginative, run of the mill, and usually Australian.
Today pretty much everyone has tasted Aussie chardonnay. Now, don’t get me wrong – I enjoy them as much as the next person. You just have to be a little selective. Two of my current favourites are Lindeman’s unoaked chardonnay, (£4.99 Threshers and Wine Rack) which is lightish and zippy, has elegance and style and makes for a perfect aperitif. Right at the other end of the taste spectrum is Wickam Estate Reserve chardonnay which is rich with masses of buttery fruit and a butterscotch-like finish. True, it seems expensive at £11.99 (Marks and Spencer’s), but it’s worth it and still relatively cheap compared to serious white burgundy prices
Chardonnay is not a new grape variety. The Burgundians had been using it for centuries, long before the New World hit on the idea of naming the variety on the label. All white burgundy (with the exception of Bourgogne Aligoté) is chardonnay –from the humble Bourgogne Blancs right up to the heady heights of world famous Burgundies such as Puligny Montrachet and Le Montrachet.
If it’s a while since you enjoyed a French chardonnay, now’s a good time to try one. You may be surprised by the complexity of a decent white burgundy. They tend to be lighter and less ‘in your face’ than their New World counterparts with more of a lightly buttery whitecurrant flavour rather than the oaky smoky bacon flavour that characterises so many Aussie chardonnays. But you will have to be prepared to fork out a little more for this French privilege.
If you prefer your chardonnay unoaked, opt for a Chablis. Two of the best around are Laroche Chablis 1999 (£7.99 Safeway) and Marks and Spencer’s Chablis, £7.99 a bottle or £15.99 in majestic looking magnums (1.5 litres). Or look out for a less well-known Burgundy such as Pouilly Fuissé 1998, Duboeuf £9.99 from Sainsbury’s. All these whites can be served as aperitifs or taste good with fish and chicken.
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