Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a white Burgundy grape originating in eastern France, where it finds its most celebrated expressions across Chablis, the Côte de Beaune, and Mâconnais, with Coche Dury and Pierre Yves Colin Morey setting the global benchmark for mineral precision and restrained oak. California's coastal appellations have developed a distinctive identity, with Kistler's Les Noisetiers from Russian River Valley and Flowers from Sonoma Coast favoring bright acidity and selective barrel work over the heavier, butter-driven styles of the previous generation. Domaine Herve Azo's Chablis represents the grape at its most austere, shaped by Kimmeridgian limestone. Aubert and Peter Michael push the California ceiling toward Burgundian complexity, while Lloyd Prescription offers a more approachable domestic entry point. Louis Jadot anchors the category's Burgundian middle ground.