The postmodern chardonnay

Chardonnay has come in many different forms over the years. So, what is today's chardonnay like?

Chardonnay has given pleasure to an uncountable number of wine drinkers over the centuries. In the New World, this variety has captured wine lovers' affection since the '70s, and through to the heydays of the '80s and '90s.

So why is it not as fashionable as it used to be?

There is the business of cycle in fashion. Like most things, wine too follows trends. To make the matter more complicated, chardonnay comes in wide-ranging styles. It is more diverse in style than any other white grape - from lean and delicate to rich and opulent, and everything in between.

I cut my teeth on "oaky buttery" chardonnay during the '80s. They were gloriously powerful wines capable of delivering loads of flavour and enormous satisfaction. The bigger, the richer, the more powerful the better. Much like the clothes we used to ware in those days - big, loud and colourful.

Then came the un-oaked and leaner chardonnays. Less was more. This so-called modern chardonnay gave the variety a new fame, and new fans grew. Shock, horror to the lovers of "oaky buttery" chardonnays, as they were silenced by the critics and winemakers. Yet they remain loyal to the big chardonnays.

At the same time, sauvignon blanc and pinot gris were making grounds with more vibrant fruit characters and refreshing mouthfeel, and soon became favoured by the majority.

So where is chardonnay now? It is still a popular wine despite more attention given to other varieties. The best thing is that a new style of chardonnay has emerged in the last few years. I call it postmodern. It's fruit expressive but not too fruity; oak fermented and matured but not overtly oaky; and smooth and textured without being too creamy. And with a hint of 'flinty' or 'matchstick' characters reminiscent of a classic Burgundy. The top-end chardonnays lead the way, and now more affordable ones are displaying this lovely harmony and silkiness with added complexity.

It's worth noting that five national wine competitions in the last 12 months awarded champion wine of the show to chardonnay, four of them going to Villa Maria.

Today's chardonnay is refined and gentle, yet tasty and long living. However, some of them display too much 'flinty' characters, which subdues the fruit intensity and making the palate hard and unpleasant.

Will the "oaky buttery" chardonnay return? Probably not. It's interesting to note that I get asked to recommend this style of chardonnay more often than any other wine - probably because consumers and retailers can't find them. A consumer came to me at a recent wine event and asked, in a whispering voice, if I knew any oaky buttery chardonnay, as if it was an illegal drug. So why wouldn't winemakers make oaky buttery chardonnay? I think it's like asking Hemingway to write a romance novel. Thing is, not every winemaker is Hemingway, and romance novels do sell extremely well. A missed opportunity for some.

Anyway, here are some lovely postmodern chardonnays for chardonnay lovers, and those who haven't tried the variety for a while.

900 Grapes Marlborough Chardonnay 2011 $20

This is a highly enjoyable Chardonnay full of ripe peach and citrus characters with hints of vanilla and cream. The palate is ripe and refreshing with lovely fruit weight and well balanced acidity leading to a juicy finish.

CJ Pask Gimblett Road Chardonnay 2009 $20.00

This combines vibrant fruit characters with subtle complexity, showing grapefruit, white peach and cashew with a hint of spicy oak characters. The palate is beautifully fine with silky texture and bright acidity. A lovely chardonnay just starting to show bottle matured flavours while remaining vibrant and lively.

Vidal Reserve Series Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010 $23.00

The fruit expression is just gorgeous, showing white peach and citrus characters together with subtle vanillin oak and silky texture. Gently powerful and very long on the finish.

Nautilus Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2010 $35.00

This label just gets better every year. The bouquet is beautifully fragrant and complex with stone fruit, cashew and oatmeal characters, followed by a concentrated and richly textured palate.

Villa Maria Reserve Barrique Fermented Gisborne Chardonnay 2010 $37.00

Rich and generous yet fine and perfectly balanced with ripe peach and mango characters combined with beautifully infused oak. Explosive and expansive on the palate with a fabulous long finish.