Explore Chardonnay

We LOVE Chardonnay at Saddler’s Creek and it seems this beloved variety is making a resurgence in our glass, thanks to modern styles and the demand from consumers.

In the past 5 years at Saddler’s, we have gone from producing one Chardonnay to producing six different styles across our collections because of how much our Club Equus members love it too.

We adore Chardonnay for many reasons, for its seductive ability to evolve over time in the cellar and its amazing versatility to pair with food. Our Winemakers love crafting it because there are just so many ways to make a great Chardonnay. From the terroir influence, the type of oak used in maturation, Bâtonnage to malolactic fermentation. Chardonnay can be made into a diverse range of styles depending on these factors. 

From crisp and lean to rich and creamy there is a style to suit everyone these days.  So let’s explore these influences and the results they provide to the end wine.

Terroir

Chardonnay is grown in almost every wine region around the world, so expect the wine to show regional expressions based on where it’s grown.

Chardonnay from warmer climates like the Hunter Valley tends to be richer fuller flavoured and show more tropical fruit characteristics. While cool climates like Tasmania are leaner, lighter bodied with crisp acidity, showing bright citrus and mineral notes.

Winemaking

Once the grapes are in the winery there is a myriad of techniques Winemakers can use to craft the wine depending on the style they’re aiming to make.

When fermenting the juice, Winemakers consider which yeast strain to use which can influence different aromas and flavours. The wine can undergo fermentation and maturation in stainless tank or oak barrel or a mix of both.

The type of oak used for maturation and the time spent in the barrel will greatly influence how “oakey” a Chardonnay becomes.

French oak is commonly used in Australia, known for producing a more elegant style of wine due to the finer grain of the timber. While American oak barrels have a denser grain and can create a more robust flavour in the wine. French oak is also considerably more expensive, which is why cheaper Chardonnay has often been produced using oak chips which are essentially “tea bagged” in the wine rather than the wine in the oak. Typically Chardonnay will spend on average 6-9 months maturing in oak barrels before being bottled.

Oak barrels can be reused each vintage up to 10 years. However, with each use, the flavour it imparts becomes less pronounced. So Winemakers may choose to use a combination of new and seasoned oak barrels to balance the flavour of the wine. The newer the oak the stronger the oak flavour.

During maturation, the Winemakers will stir the lees (Bâtonnage) which are the expired yeast cells in the bottom of the barrel. It might not sound that delicious but this process is an important step of winemaking. If we want more structure and texture we will stir every couple of weeks, if we want a more fruit-forward wine, we stir less.