2010 Helix Chardonnay and Champagne
Chardonnay is delicious and comes in a variety of styles. Our 2010 Helix Chardonnay has crisp, pleasant light acidity. Do we really need to give you another reason to love this varietal? Well, just in case, here’s another fun Chardonnay fact. Under the right conditions, Chardonnay can transform into something very effervescent and fancy. Let’s play a little word association game. When I say fancy wine, what do you think? How about when I say luxury? Decadence? Bubbles? That’s right, we’re talking about Champagne. Champagne is made out of a blend of a few different varietals (to clarify, there is not “Champagne” wine grape). The other grapes traditionally used are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Although you can make Blac de Noirs, Chardonnay from only black grapes, it is typically more heavy and rustic. The addition of Chardonnay into a Champagne creates the finesse, lightness and elegance we have come to expect.
Sources of Champagne Grapes
Chardonnay is one of the three dominant varietals used in the Champagne region. Depending upon the house style, Champagne makers will source their grapes from different vineyards which exhibit markedly different grape flavors due to differences in terroir. For example, the village of Avize is the place to go for the lightest wines, while Mesnil is the go-to source for grapes with more acidity.
Why Doesn’t Champagne Taste Like Chardonnay?
You’ve probably tasted some Champagne before (if not, consider it homework) and are wondering why Champagne doesn’t taste more like Chardonnay. Although there are multiple styles of Chardonnay, the varietal characteristics that shine through in Champagne are typically creaminess, nuttiness, and some floral notes. As noted above, Champagne is added not so much for it’s fruit flavors, but in order to add a critical sense of balance and acidity. One reason more typical Chardonnay flavors don’t predominate in Champagne is that Chardonnay grapes in Champagne hardly ever fully ripen. The mean average temperature of Champagne is just above the minimum average temperature Chardonnay grapes need to ripen resulting in a lack of the traditional fruit flavors.
Where Do Champagne Bubbles Come From?
If Champagne is made out of ordinary grapes such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, where do the bubbles come from? For those of you that haven’t tasted the 2010 Helix Chardonnay, here’s a hint, it isn’t bubbly. The bubble in Champagne, what makes the wine so special, are a result of manipulation in the cellar, not a result of what happens in the vineyard. To sum it up very simply, the bubbles in Champagne are created by the addition of a mixture of yeast and sugar to the juice base (the cuvée) put into tightly sealed bottles. The yeast eats the sugar and produces gas, which can’t escape the bottle.
2010 Helix Chardonnay
The 2010 Helix Chardonnay is not used for making Champagne and never could be. I’m sure all the wine buffs out there know why. Due to a trade agreement, aside from a few brands grandfathered in, no sparkling wine made outside the Champagne AOC in France can be labeled as Champagne. Besides that technicality, we think the well balanced flavors of the 2010 Helix Chardonnay are too distinctive and delicious to blend. Order a bottle of the 2010 Helix Chardonnay and try it for yourself.
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