What do these wines have in common? William Fevre Chablis, Rothschild Chardonnay, Olivier Leflaive Montagny 1re Cru, and Champagne Bonnaire Grand Cru Blancs de Blanc. Yes, they are all from France, but the tricky answer is that they are all made from the same grape variety: Chardonnay.
It is no surprise that initiates to the enjoyment of wine can have great difficulty getting a basic understanding of wines, and also an understanding of their own preferences. Many European labels do not list the grape varieties on either the front or back of the bottle. You are supposed to know that the a D.O. Toro wine from Spain is made from Tinto de Toro, and that Tinto de Toro is actually Tempranillo (although the growers in Toro will say their vines are specially adapted to the region!).
One of the innovations of New World producers which has allowed them to enter the fine wine market, as well as recruit large numbers of new wine drinkers, is the simplification of labelling. Naming the wine according to the variety of the grapes used to make it has made wines more accessible to casual drinkers and initiates to wine culture. Where some quarters may once have viewed such an approach as “lowering” standards, no one really cares about it anymore.
Alsace was one part of France which always had varietal labelling, and it has been acceptable in Languedoc-Roussillon for a long time now. You are also starting to see wines from Burgundy labelled as Bourgogne Chardonnay as the pressure of competitive marketing against New World products continues to increase.
Decoding the list of wines at the start, the Olivier Leflaive Montagny 1re Cru is from Montagny in the Côte de Beaune, in Burgundy. This designation can only be used for a white wine, and white wine from this area means it is made from Chardonnay. (Aligote is an allowed white grape variety in Burgundy, but labelled separately.)
The three main grape varieties of Champagne are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. A Champagne with “Blancs de Blanc” on the label is literally a “white from white (grapes)” and indicates this Bonnaire is made from Chardonnay only.
Like many wines from the Vin de Pays d’Oc of Languedoc-Roussillon, the main grape variety of the Rothschild is used to name the wine and is prominently displayed on the label. You will find demarcated appellations within the region such as Cabardes and Minervois, and then you are often back to “knowing” the varieties.
Chablis is a northerly outpost of Burgundy and Chardonnay is its grape. It hasn’t helped matters that some New World producers of coarse white wines called them Chablis to aid sales, with not a drop of Chardonnay in the bottle, and no attempt to mimic the style of the original. There are four classifications of wines from this region: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis 1re Cru, and Chablis Grand Cru. As a regular Chablis, the William Fevre 2014 (NLC $30.27) has a moderate citrus and slightly floral aroma, medium weight in the mouth, juicy acidity, and a moderate finish. Score 14.5/Good.