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Varietal:
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Chardonnay
- It's hard to believe that up until about 30 years ago, this extremely popular varietal hid behind the veil of geographical names like Chablis and Puligny-Montrachet. Now grown all over the world and bottled by its varietal name, Chardonnay has achieved a level of branding unlike any other wine. Surprisingly, though, what you get when you buy Chardonnay can differ greatly from country to country and even within one country, depending on the climate where it's grown and how it is vinified and aged. From fresh, crisp and minerally with apple and lemon notes to rich and buttery with tropical fruit overtones, Chardonnay runs the gamut.
In France's Burgundy, Chardonnay is the source of the prized wines of Chablis, Corton-Charlemagne, Mâcon, Meursault and Montrachet. It also the foundation of exceptional Champagne, where it is blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier or vinified on its own into Blanc de Blancs. It is also extremely popular in California, and is gaining popularity in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and South Africa. |
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Country:
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France
- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them. |
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Sub-Region:
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Burgundy
- The province of eastern France, famous for its red wines produced from Pinot Noir and its whites produced from Chardonnay. (Small of amounts of Gamay and Aligoté are still grown, although these have to be labeled differently.) The most famous part of the region is known as the Côte d'Or (the Golden Slope). It is divided into the Côte de Beaune, south of the town of Beaune (famous principally for its whites), and the Côte de Nuits, North of Beaune (home of the most famous reds). In addition, the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais are important wine growing regions, although historically a clear level (or more) below the Côte d'Or. Also include by some are the regions of Chablis and Auxerrois, farther north. |
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Specific Appellation:
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Puligny Montrachet
- Puligny is a village which has been called 'attractive, self-confident and unpretentious.' Some of the world's greatest dry white wines come from here. The Grands Crus of Montrachet, Chevalier Montrachet, Bâtard Montrachet, and Bienvenues Bâtard Montrachet are on the southern edge, adjacent to the village of Chassagne. In Puligny, you can see the distinctly different soils which yield the different wines. The borders of the Grands Crus are anything but arbitrary, and the character of the wines form Puligny are distinct from Meursault to the north and Chassagne to the South. The vineyards closest to Meursault have thin soils, with slate and rock. Their wines are more delicate and minerally but no less lovely than the more powerful wines from the vineyards towards the Grands Crus. |
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Alcohol Content (%):
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13.5
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