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Chardonnay is the great white vine of Burgundy, far superior in quality and much more widely planted than its only other white contender, the Aligoté. While in the Côte d'Or it accounts for less acreage than the red Pinot Noir, and is very sparsely planted only in the northern reaches of the Beaujolais, Chardonnay dominates in the Mâconnais, where it yields an abundance of deliciously fresh and fruity wines. Thought to have originated in Syria and transported to Europe during the Crusades, Chardonnay is one of the most popular and widely-planted fine wine grapes in the world. This early-ripening variety does well in numerous types of climates, but it is generally agreed that the cool, chalky hillsides of Burgundy yield the most aristocratic and complex of all Chardonnays. While the greatest of Burgundy's Chardonnays are produced from the grand and premier cru vineyards of the Côte de Beaune, those from Mâconnais, Chalonnais and the outlying zones of the Côte d'Or are characterized by a unique crispness, elegance and finesse. Jadot Chardonnay is vinified and blended exclusively from Chardonnay grapes selected from the production of numerous growers in the Côte Chalonnais, the Côte Mâconnais and the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, with a small proportion of superior village-level wines added in most vintages to improve the finished cuvée. As such, it must legally take the "Bourgogne Blanc" appellation. Styled to be fuller in body and structure than most of Jadot's Mâconnais wines, it is partially fermented and aged in oak casks to add breadth to the ripe fruit notes. The lovely, elegant Chardonnay nose, offset by a gentle touch of vanilla, carries into excellent balance of medium-full fruit and acidity on the palate and a lingering finish. |
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