If I can weigh in on this discussion as a grower of Chardonnay in SW Michigan. Chardonnay usually doesn't age if it comes from a too warm climate. I believe this has to do with the pH of the grapes at harvest as well as yield. In the north, the pH stays low. And low crops per vine as in Burgundy allow the grapes to ripen without losing acidity. Low pH is good as it means that the acids present are strong. It also means that the SO2 used as preservative and added again at bottling will be more effective at protecting the wine from oxidation over a long period of time. White Burgundies typically have quite low pH compared to CA. In addition, magnums age more slowly than 750ml bottles. The larger volume is less affected by seasonal temperature changes so the wine doesn't expand and contract as much thus drawing oxygen through the cork into the wine and "maturing" it. I opened a magnum of Wyncroft 1998 Chardonnay for a tasting a few months ago, and it tasted the same as the day it was bottled, while some of the 750ml bottles I've had recently were definitely mature. Just some thoughts! If you want to age domestic Chardonnay, I would stick to winegrowing regions in the North like Oregon, Michigan, and New York, all of which make very ageworthy Chardonnays. I don't have any experience with Washington state, but the Columbia Valley is a hot place in the summer, so I suspect they will preform more like a CA Chardonnay in the cellar.
Wynmaker
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Originally posted by Wynmaker:
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Originally posted by Board-O:
The longest lived white Burg I've ever had was a Chevalier-Montrachet from Prosper-Mafoux, but it wasn't 23 years old like yours. I'd be afraid to keep one that long. I'm glad yours was so good.
Just one more sip.
