Chardonnay Without Apologies: The Spectrum From Chablis to Napa

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

There is a famous phrase in wine circles that came to define an era: ABC, or “Anything But Chardonnay.” It emerged in the early 2000s as a backlash against the heavily oaked, buttery California Chardonnay style that had dominated the 1990s. The phrase stuck. Chardonnay became fashionable to dismiss. A generation of younger drinkers came up assuming the grape was, by default, the wine equivalent of beige.

That dismissal was always silly. Chardonnay is one of the most versatile, expressive, and consequential white grapes on earth. It produces the greatest white wines in Burgundy, some of the most refreshing in Chablis, the backbone of most quality Champagne, and yes, the buttery Napa style that started the backlash. The grape is not the problem; the homogeneity of one specific style was. Today, Chardonnay is back in form, and the producers making it are more careful, more diverse, and more interesting than at any point in the last forty years.

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Chardonnay Without Apologies: The Spectrum From Chablis to Napa