Organic & Natural Chardonnay

Chardonnay is typically produced as a dry wine, but its flavour profile can sometimes bring some sweetness. Climate significantly affects the taste, with cooler regions producing crisp, acidic wines and warmer regions yielding fruitier expressions with tropical notes. Oak ageing can bring vanilla and toasty flavours that might suggest sweetness, though the wine remains technically dry. Malolactic fermentation creates that distinctive buttery texture found in some styles. Our natural and organic Chardonnay collection features primarily dry wines expressing their authentic terroir with minimal intervention.

Chardonnay is both a grape variety and the wine produced from it, being one of the world's most widely planted white grapes. It's prized for its remarkable ability to express the characteristics of where it's grown rather than imposing its own dominant flavour profile. Chardonnay forms the backbone for prestigious wines including white Burgundy such as Chablis and many premium sparkling wines such as Champagne. In natural winemaking, Chardonnay reveals pure expressions of fruit and place when produced without excessive additives or manipulation.

Yes, Chablis is made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes in a specific region of northern Burgundy, France. What distinguishes Chablis is its unique Kimmeridgian soil (a limestone-rich clay containing fossilised oyster shells) that brings distinctive minerality. Chablis typically shows high acidity with restrained fruit flavours and minimal oak influence. It perfectly demonstrates how terroir transforms Chardonnay into a style markedly different from examples made elsewhere.

Chardonnay typically offers apple, pear and tropical fruit flavours, while Sauvignon Blanc displays herbaceous, grassy notes with citrus and gooseberry characteristics. Chardonnay is generally medium to full-bodied with a rounder texture, whereas Sauvignon Blanc is lighter with crisper acidity. Traditional Chardonnay often undergoes malolactic fermentation and oak ageing, while Sauvignon Blanc is typically fermented in stainless steel to preserve freshness. Both varieties create fascinating expressions when produced as natural wines, including orange wine styles with extended skin contact.

Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay are entirely different grape varieties with distinct characteristics and flavour profiles. Chardonnay tends to be more robust with apple, pear and potential oak-derived complexity, while Pinot Grigio offers lighter, more subtle pear and mineral notes. Chardonnay is usually medium to full-bodied, whereas Pinot Grigio is typically lighter with higher acidity, particularly in Italian styles. Both can produce exciting natural wine expressions, with Pinot Grigio particularly interesting when made as an orange wine through skin contact methods.