Originally published on May 11, 2009.
Continuing with the trend of writing more about studying than actually studying, here’s another entry related to my quest to pass Unit 3 of the Diploma.
Last time I posted a tasting note that adhered to the standardized tasting note method set out by the WSET. During the actual test, I will have to write a number of notes following this formula….And I’ll be tasting blind, meaning I won’t know what wines are in the glasses. The instructors tell us this shouldn’t be too terribly hard, because after all, the “answer is in the glass.” This is technically true, but doesn’t make it any easier to avoid jumping to conclusions on first sniff, or get hung up on whether the “answer” smells like ripe stone fruits, unripe stone fruits, or just plain wet stones.
In addition to the tasting portion (known as the “practical” section in WSET parlance), there’s the “theoretical” section which really just is another way of saying “essay questions”. To prepare for this, candidates (I love being called a “candidate”) are given practice questions which we’re meant to answer during a 30 minutes time period without reference to our notes or textbooks. We then zap our answer to a grader, generally someone in London, who picks apart our answer, makes fun of our American spelling, and emails their feedback to us in about three weeks. Spelling jokes aside, it really is a good way to get some understanding of whether we’re on the right track, or completely off in lala land.
But I don’t think it’s fair that only my grader gets to read my attempt at great prose. So I’ll post my latest here. Because what good is a blog if you can’t subject your readers to stuff like this! Enjoy (or better yet, just stop reading now and go get a drink.)
Question #4 (Due May 10th): What does blending other varieties with Chardonnay achieve? (An ESSAY format is compulsory.)
Answer:It’s not difficult to argue that blending other varieties with the Chardonnay grape does little to improve the final wine. The finest expressions of the grape, the wines from Chablis and Burgundy’s Cote d’Or are all 100% Chardonnay. It’s possible to argue that adding a high acid grape such as Chenin Blanc or Semillon can perk up an otherwise flabby Chardonnay grown in a too-warm climate (or allowed to yield too enthusiastically), it’s easier to argue that blending other grapes with Chardonnay is more about achieving a certain price point while still maintaining the perennially popular “Chardonnay” imprint on the label. In other words, it makes an otherwise average wine easier to market.
Taking the purist approach, Chablis and the various Premier and Grand Crus of the Cote d’Or, generally considered to be the finest, most classic expressions of the variety, do not allow any other grape to be included in the wine. Beyond that, the top Chardonnays from as far a field as California, Australia, and South Africa are also 100% Chardonnay. Along with Riesling, Chardonnay is generally considered to be a grape that most clearly expresses the vineyard site on which it’s grown, or the vision of the winemaker since the grape takes so well to barrel fermentation, barrel aging, battonage, and malolactic fermentation. Blending in other varietals can only mask the expression of terrior (or the intent of the winemaker). Unlike other regions such as Bordeaux or the Southern Rhone, where blending is used to make a more complete, balanced wine in the face of potential vintage-specific weather issues, Chardonnay generally ripens in most climates (although the flavor profile may vary) and generally doesn’t require other varieties to be added to balance it out.
One exception to this is the addition of a higher acid grape to add a bit of refreshing acidity and citrus notes. Because Chardonnay can lose its acidity quite quickly when overripe (or when allowed to yield too vigorously), this is a useful practice in hotter climates. For example, Chenin Blanc may be added to Chardonnay in South Africa, or Semillon in Australia, or either in the wines sold under the VdP d’Oc or VdP Jardin de la Loire.
The most important achievement of blending other grapes with Chardonnay is driven by marketing. Chardonnay is easily the most popular white grape variety in the world. Worldwide, about 175,000 ha are planted to Chardonnay – more than any other white grape with the exception of Spain’s Airen. In the United States, it is practically a synonymy for “white wine”. The word “Chardonnay” on a label increases a wine’s marketability…so much so that even Burgundy producers are managing to print it on their labels, despite regulations to the contrary. Less fashionable local varieties can be used to increase the amount of wine produced (and lower the final bottle price). As long as enough Chardonnay is included in the blend to warrant its inclusion on the label, unfamiliar local varieties can be make much suitable for the international export market. As noted above, Chenin and Semillon may add a little acidity to freshen up the Chardonnay. But certainly more important is the cache and marketability that “Chardonnay” adds to those grapes.