The grape variety saga: chardonnay

Chardonnay is part of the Noirien family. It is thus the natural and direct descendant of Pinot Noir, coupled with another ancient grape variety: Gouais Blanc. Originally from Israel, Chardonnay is today one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. Unlike Pinot Noir, a demanding grape variety that struggles to acclimatise outside of Burgundy, Chardonnay adapts easily to its environment.

Chardonnay is recognisable by its small, elongated bunches. Its grapes, airy and well-spaced, take on a magnificent golden colour during véraison. The leaves are a deep green and can be full or with 5 lightly marked lobes. Chardonnay is an early-ripening grape variety that thrives in poor, calcareous soils.

Generally more vegetal, floral and mineral in the north, and more fruity in the south, this grape variety has the gift of expressing its terroir of production. The aromas are typical, complex and intense, and above all of an incredible diversity: dried fruits, hazelnut, toasted almond, exotic fruits, butter, fern, linden, pear, popcorn, oat flakes, acacia blossom, walnut, biscuit… It is also very quickly marked by the expertise of the men and women of Burgundy, which adds to its aromatic complexity. Through winemaking and ageing techniques acquired over centuries, vignerons produce the greatest wines.

Chardonnay is part of the blend at Domaine de l'Aigle and at Domaine de Cigalus, where it expresses itself magnificently in the cuvée Aigle Royal but also in our Crémant de Limoux Code Rouge and Ballerine.