Illustration by Brian Rea;
Photographs of wine by Carmen Cheung

Chardonnay is a victim of its own success. In the ’80s, the powerful white captured boomers’ fancy and quickly became the world’s most popular grape. Wineries started making oceans of cheap chardonnay, attempting to imitate $50 white burgundy fermented in new French oak by steeping bags of wood chips in the vats. The resulting wines—artificial, clove-flavoured con­coctions—sealed the grape’s fall from favour. In the past few years, the ABC movement (Anything But Chardonnay) has blossomed from a protest by oenophiles into a full-blown consumer revolt. The industry responded by making unoaked chardonnay, aged in stainless steel tanks. But many of these are bland, simple and stripped, the absence of oak being their only raison d’être.

As these misadventures show, a good unoaked chardonnay requires a deft touch. Winemakers would be wise to look to Chablis, the cultural homeland of unoaked chardonnay, where they use low-yield, concentrated grapes, and stir the lees (fermentation yeasts and grape solids) to sew in complexity. Ontario, with a similarly cool climate and complex soils, has emerged as a New World chardonnay hot spot. So much so that we’re challenging such iconic regions as Burgundy and Sonoma: in a blind tasting this spring, Niagara’s Le Clos Jordanne 2005 Claystone Terrace shocked Montreal tasters by beating all French and Californian examples. To experience chardonnay’s great potential—from Ontario or elsewhere—be prepared to pay in the $20 range for unoaked and $30 for oaked. Settle the oak debate by test driving some of the best examples in both styles.

Peninsula Ridge 2008 Inox Chardonnay
$12.95 | Niagara
Peninsula | 88 points
Before moving to Canada, Jean-Pierre Colas worked at the award-winning Chablis winery Domaine Laroche, and the experience shows. From the cooler 2008 vintage, this chardonnay bristles with grapefruity freshness, but Colas has rounded out the flavours by stirring in sweet peach and yeasty complexity. While not quite chablis, it’s quenching and tasty—an ideal patio sipper. LCBO 594200

UNOAKED CHARDONNAY

Bouchard Père et Fils 2007 Petit-Chablis
$19.90 | Chablis, France | 88 points
With apple, lemon and herb flavours, this bare-bones chardonnay has the elegance and crunch that many New World examples are missing. It’s firm and mouth-watering, with good length and minerality. An ideal match for oysters and hard cheeses. LCBO 51466

Château des Charmes 2007 Chardonnay Musqué
$16.95 | Niagara-on-the-lake | 89 points
Niagara excels at musqué, a clone with a floral muscat-like aroma that’s unusual for chardonnay. Expect licorice and melon aromas, rich texture and good length. Chill well; pair with salads. chateaudescharmes.com

Coyote’s Run 2007 Unoaked Chardonnay
$14.95 | Four Mile Creek, Niagara | 88 points
The 2007 vintage catches the gentleness and richness expected of chardonnay. With fairly complex apple, pear, honey and floral notes, it’s rich yet crisp and tightly balanced—a perfect late-afternoon wine, especially with a fruit and cheese plate. LCBO 26740

Domaine des Malandes 2007 Chablis
$24.95 | Burgundy, France | 90 points
This intense, almost steely unoaked chardonnay has a lifted nose of fresh fennel, cheddar and apple. It’s taut, lemony and stony on the palate, with mouth-watering acidity. Excellent length. Will age up to five years and develop more complexity. Vintages. LCBO 111658

Kim Crawford 2007 Unoaked Chardonnay
$19.95 | Marlborough, New Zealand | 85 points
Tropical aromas of tangerine, mint and mango are not very chardonnay-like, but they are intriguing. This wine is creamy and loaded with sweet and sour flavours from a touch of vinegary acidity just below the surface. Vintages. LCBO 991950

Vineland Estates 2007 Non-Oaked Chardonnay
$12.85 | Niagara Escarpment | 90 points
The top-scoring unoaked chardonnay at the Ontario Wine Awards has exactly what’s expected of the genre: fresh apple and pineapple flavours framed by bread aromas. It’s clean and lively, with a gentle ambience. Excellent length. LCBO 669374

OAKED CHARDONNAY

Flat Rock 2007 The Rusty Shed Chardonnay
$24.95 | Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara | 90 points
This ripe vintage shows an opulent nose of peach, butterscotch, almond and orange. It’s creamy and warm, perhaps a bit low in acid for the long haul, with a nice lemony acidity and a nutty crème brûlée finish. Excellent length. Drink now to 2012. Vintages. LCBO 1552

La Crema 2007 Chardonnay
$29.95 | Sonoma Coast, California | 91 points
La Crema does a great job of capturing chardonnay’s elegance. Reserved, fruit-driven nose with apple, pineapple, spice and toast in the background. Smooth and even-handed; excellent length, with a butterscotch finish. Try with grilled chicken. Vintages. LCBO 962886

Maison Champy 2006 Pernand-Vergelesses
$29.95 | Burgundy, France | 92 points
There’s an equal measure of richness and elegance in this fine example. It’s a touch sweet, but there are also well-integrated aromas of apple pie, peat smoke, vanilla and citrus. Drink now to 2012. Vintages. LCBO 8151

Peninsula Ridge 2007 Chardonnay Reserve
$25.15 | Niagara Peninsula | 90 points
An Ontario Wine Awards gold medal winner, it has a terrific, complex nose of woodsmoke, butterscotch, peaches, honey and clove. It’s also full bodied and spicy on the palate, with stabiliz­ing acidity. Excellent length, with clove, pineapple and lemon on the finish. winerytohome.com