Chardonnay tasting notes: a worked example
See what a structured Chardonnay tasting note looks like, line by line, then fill in the blank sheet for the bottle in your glass.
A Chardonnay tasting note, line by line
This is a worked example of how a note can read for the typical style of the grape. It is not a review of one bottle. Your wine will differ, so write what you find.
| Line of the note | What a typical Chardonnay note says |
|---|---|
| Appearance Colour and depth | Write what you see. Colour changes with the bottle, the vintage and the oak, so no grape guide can fill this line in for you. |
| Nose Unoaked style | Green apple, pear and citrus, sometimes with a chalky or mineral note. |
| Nose Oaked style | Peach, mango and lemon, with vanilla and butter from oak and malolactic fermentation. |
| Palate Sweetness | Dry. |
| Palate Acidity | Medium. Unoaked wines run higher and crisper, oaked ones more moderate. |
| Palate Body | Medium. Oaked styles feel fuller and creamier. |
| Palate Alcohol | Usually 12 to 15% ABV. Leaner styles sit at the low end. Check the label. |
| Conclusions Where it is from | Burgundy in France is the classic home, from lean Chablis to richer wines in the Côte de Beaune. The USA, Australia, Italy and Chile also plant a lot of it. |
The same note in two sentences
Dry, with medium acidity and a medium body. Green apple and lemon on the nose, with a touch of chalk. Lean and crisp, so likely unoaked.
What to look for
- Decide early whether the wine has seen oak. Vanilla and toast point to oak. Butter and a creamy feel come from malolactic fermentation, which unoaked wines can have too. Green apple, citrus and a chalky edge point to unoaked.
- Chardonnay is not a loud grape, so do not expect strong aromas. Smell the glass more than once.
- Cool-climate and warm-climate bottles read differently. Apple and citrus lean cool. Peach, mango and pineapple lean warm.
Now write your own
Fill this in for the bottle in front of you. It saves on your device only. Nothing is sent to us.
Questions
What does Chardonnay taste like?
It depends on how it is made. Unoaked Chardonnay is typically green apple, pear and citrus. Oaked Chardonnay adds peach, vanilla and butter, with a creamier texture.
Why does some Chardonnay taste buttery?
Wine Folly explains that butteriness comes from malolactic fermentation and oak. Decanter notes that oak brings a textured, buttery roundness as well as toasty and nutty notes.
How do I write a Chardonnay tasting note?
Work in the same order every time: look, nose, palate, then your conclusions. Note whether you smell oak, name the fruit, then rate acidity and body. The blank sheet on this page follows that order.
Sources
The typical aromas, structure and regions above come from these grape guides.