Matt Brain is the winemaker for Alpha Omega winery in Napa Valley, and has lectured in the enology and viticulture programs at both Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Fresno State University in California. He earned degrees in biosciences at Sam Houston State University and in winemaking at the University of California, Davis.
As a winemaker, I have always loved crafting chardonnay because it’s a grape that allows itself to be shaped into an endless variety of styles. In fact, the most coveted and expensive white wines in the world are chardonnays fermented and aged in French oak, as the aromas and textures of oak barrels are complementary to the fruit characters in exquisite and familiar ways. But is oak necessary to express the full character depth of this variety, or are tank-fermented and aged chards an equally legitimate expression of the world’s most popular white grape?
The fruit character of chardonnay can be framed and enhanced by the proper use of oak, much like a freshly baked crust complements the tart and sweet apples in a pie. Lean and acidic chards that show citrus, green apple and minerality only need small amounts of subtle oak to complement and frame the wine. In contrast, rich, ripe tropical and viscous chards can support a good deal of oak aroma and flavor, as well as buttery notes from malolactic fermentation, while still holding mass appeal. The origin, seasoning and toasting of oak, as well as the resulting sensory character, is a fascinating topic itself, and the tradition of great chard and great barrels is a compelling story in the history of wine.
From a winemaking perspective, barrel and butter aromas can be used to bring complexity, power and ageability to a wine, but also consistency to a product that naturally varies from vintage to vintage. Along with barrel aging and malolactic fermentation, they can also help cover subtle flaws that may occur through viticulture and vinification. However, the notes of toast, nuts and spice that come from the barrel, alongside savory and familiar butter, can easily cover nuanced aromas that are crucial to revealing unique clonal-vintage interactions while also distracting from the expression of terroir. The correct amount of oak needed to frame a wine properly is a recurring topic among industry friends, and let me tell you – opinions differ!
A LEGACY OF MINIMAL OAK
The Chablis region in Burgundy has a great tradition of expressing terroir through its chardonnays with minimal new barrel influence and sometimes by using pure stainless steel tank fermentation and aging. A cooler growing area than much of the Cote de Beaune, Chablis’ bright acids and natural tendency toward flinty mineral expression lend themselves perfectly to a minimal oaked style. Many producers in the new world have followed this lead, producing leaner, brighter chards through tank fermentation and storage. And while sometimes these pure chards are sharp and angular, the best are balanced, expressive and singular.
While beginning wine drinkers may seek consistency in their favorite bottle of wine, true aficionados search for the expression of the vintage in the glass. Without oak, the subtle aromatic and textural characters of the vintage are exposed and on full display.
Different clones of chardonnay can present very different profiles if handled delicately in the vineyard and cellar. For example, I craft a chard from a vineyard on the top of Napa’s Mt. Veeder – a subtle Wente clone that displays purity of fruit and floral notes, with lean apple and citrus.
In contrast, an incredible vineyard in Carneros provides me with Clones 76 and 96 which display more wild and expressive orange blossom notes and a hint of flinty reduction that I find matches well with slightly more aromatic creamy oak. I can use oak (or refrain from using it) to drive the style of each wine and show my customers the range and flexibility of the grape in Napa.
Without the flavor profile of oak and butter to moderate climactic factors affecting grape ripening, stainless steel-fermented chardonnays truly allow the vintage and terroir to shine through. Subtle changes to aromas and flavors caused by growing conditions are more easily detected in this pure and revealing style, and partial malolactic fermentation and lees stirring can help soften angular acidic edges in the tank.
Stainless steel tanks are also easier to care for and a more cost-effective solution in winemaking than using high-quality French oak, which can cost up to $1,200 per barrel or more and also needs regular microbial monitoring (since wood is impossible to fully sterilize), not to mention stirring, sampling and topping up volume lost to evaporation.
For me, unoaked chardonnays represent a pure and honest production method. The expression of terroir, clone, and fermentation techniques are on full display while delivering an uncomplicated and cost-effective expression of the grape. This budget-friendly, simple and refreshing style may in fact help engage the next generation of wine consumers to fall in love with chardonnay and join the rest of us in embracing its many forms and expressions. That said, the most sought after and most-discussed chardonnays will continue to be oak- aged in style, with complexity, balance and ageability continuing to define the greatest of wines.
– Matt Brain
