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Chardonnay

Chardonnay Grape – Historical Watercolour from Viala & Vermorel Ampélographie (1901)

Also known as: Morillon (Styria), Feinburgunder (rare, historical)

Chardonnay is a mirror. The grape itself brings little flavour of its own – and that’s precisely what makes it so fascinating. What ends up in the glass tells the story of soil, climate and decisions made in the cellar. Limestone in Burgundy, marl in the Jura, volcanic rock in Kaiserstuhl: each place shapes the wine in its own way.

At La Soufrandière in the Mâconnais, Chardonnay reveals itself in its biodynamic purity. Rémi Jobard in Meursault brings classic Burgundian elegance. And de l'Enclos in Chablis shows the mineral, taut side on Kimmeridgian limestone.

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Chardonnay's characteristic of presenting itself as the perfect medium for expressing the terroir manifests itself particularly impressively in the crystalline wines of the Château de Béru in Chablis. Here, on the Kimmeridgian limestone soils, Athénaïs de Béru has been cultivating her vines according to the strict principles of cosmic agriculture since 2006. The conversion was carried out with remarkable consistency and the results are captivating. The wines display an almost electrifying minerality, coupled with a precision and purity that clearly reflects the influence of this nature-orientated cultivation. The salty savouriness and vibrant energy of their wines are a living testament to how Chardonnay can act as a translator of terroir.

In Champagne, the house has Tarlant have taken a remarkable path. Their interpretation of Chardonnay in the context of biodynamic farming methods reveals a completely new dimension of the grape variety. Treating the vines according to the lunar calendar and meticulously observing the cosmic rhythms result in base wines of extraordinary complexity. The power of this work is particularly evident in their Blanc de Blancs: the wines possess an inner tension and depth that goes far beyond what is generally expected of Champagne. The chalky minerality here merges with an almost tangible energy.

In the Rhine-Hessian context, the winery interprets Kühling-Gillot Chardonnay cultivation in its very own way. Wines of impressive structure and finesse are produced on the barren limestone soils of the Roter Hang. The holistic cultivation practised here for over a decade has led to a remarkable development of the vineyard soils. The Chardonnays display a fascinating combination of creamy texture and vibrant acidity, coupled with an almost Burgundian elegance.

Treatment with herbal preparations and carrying out vineyard work according to cosmic principles seems to have a special resonance with Chardonnay. The grape variety reacts exceptionally sensitively to the forces of nature, which play a central role in this form of agriculture. The resulting wine quality is characterised by a remarkable precision in the presentation of aromas, coupled with an almost tangible mineral tension. It is this combination of power and finesse, body and elegance that makes naturally produced Chardonnays so fascinating.

In the modern wine world, which is increasingly looking for authentic, unadulterated forms of expression, Chardonnay from holistic cultivation plays a key role. It impressively demonstrates how the combination of traditional winemaking craftsmanship with cosmic rhythms can lead to wines that are not only of exceptional quality, but also possess a spiritual dimension. The future of this noble grape variety undoubtedly lies in the further research and perfection of natural cultivation methods.

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