Flowers Vineyards & Winery Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2019
From Sonoma Coast, this 100 percent French oak Chardonnay is remarkably perfumed. Honeysuckle and apricot aromas lead to round, honeyed richness on the palate. Bright acidity cuts through each sip, bringing stone fruit and white flowers to the fore once more. This fine wine requires no food but youll want to taste it with a bountiful summer salad. Average price: $50. Rating: 91.
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What Does The Term Buttery Mean In Reference To Wine
Hello there! I’m Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don’t worry, I’m no wine snobyou can also ask me those “dumb questions” you’re too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don’t forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q& A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
What does the term buttery mean in reference to wine?
John A., St. Louis
Dear John,
This is a question I get a lot. “Buttery” can refer to a flavor, smell, texture or some combination of all three, and it’s most commonly associated with Chardonnay. Buttery flavors usually come from diacetyl, an organic compound thats a natural byproduct of fermentation. Diacetyl can also be a result of putting a wine through a malolactic conversion. Exposing a wine to oak barrels can also emphasize buttery notesboth from the toasting on the inside of the barrel, and the softening effect barrels can have on a wines texture.
Have you ever smelled a wine and its a dead ringer for butter-flavored popcorn? Thats not a coincidence. Diacetyl is sometimes added to foods for its buttery flavorthink movie-theater popcorn, margarine, crackers and cooking oil.
Other descriptors in a similar vein are cream/creamy, piecrust, caramel, butterscotch or brioche.
Dr. Vinny
How Do You Pick A Good Oaked Chardonnay
The best way to find a good quality oaked chardonnay is to try as many different types as you can before settling on your favorite. You may want to try varieties from different regions or with different levels of sweetness, for example. Keep in mind that most wines are meant to be enjoyed within two years of their vintage date !
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Sommelier Secrets For Chardonnay
Since the 1980s, big, oaky, buttery Chardonnays from California have enjoyed explosive popularity. More recently, the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, towards a clean, crisp style that rarely utilizes new oak. The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a similar bright and acid-driven style. Anyone who doesnt like oaky Chardonnay wine would likely enjoy this lighter style.
What Does It Mean When Wine Is Buttery
When a wine like Chardonnay is described as buttery, it means the wine has been aged in oak and is rich with little acidity. When a wine is buttery it has a cream-like texture. It has a smooth finish and hits the middle of your tongue as oil .
These Chardonnays are rich, full-bodied, and have additional flavors of vanilla, butter, and even caramel from the oak.
The perfect food pairings for buttery wines are soft cheeses, fish with herbs, pork loin, oily flaky fish, white mushrooms, and truffles. In particular, cows milk cheese such as Humboldt Fog, Herb Crusted Halibut with Minted Sweet Pea Puree, thyme, lemon zest, tarragon, and asparagus.
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What Gives Chardonnay Its Oaky Buttery Flavor
Many chardonnay lovers, especially in the U.S., love their oaky, buttery California chardonnay. New World winemakers lean towards this style much more than their Old World counterparts Old World chardonnays like Chablis have more minerality. So what gives New World chardonnay these distinct flavor profiles?
Lets start with oaky. Winemakers use oak barrels in different ways to create unique flavor profiles. Time, size, age, toast and origin influence flavors. Newer barrels, smaller barrels and longer time mean stronger oak flavors, as does heavier toast. The type of oakAmerican, French or Hungarianimparts a different flavor. American oak reveals more vanilla and coconut. Some winemakers ferment and age in oak some only age in oak. New World winemakers use a wide palette of choices to achieve the desired effect.
What makes wine taste buttery? Buttery flavors come from malolactic fermentation, which is the secondary fermentation process of converting malic acid to lactic acid. Malic acid has a tart, green-apple flavor. Lactic acid has a creamy, buttery flavor.
Rombauer, a classic New World example of oaky, buttery chardonnay, is fermented in oak, aged in oak for nine months, receives 100-percent malolactic fermentation, and is lees stirred every two weeks for extra creaminess. Taste-test Rombauer and Chablis. Same grape, but the difference is striking.
Chardonnay Styles For Everyone
I am not a buttery Chardonnay type of person. I love the crisp, citrus, concentration without viscosity, subtle floral and tropical fruit Chardonnays that the grape itself can provide without adding oak or over-oaking, says Odila Galer-Noel, founder of PRonCall. The butteriness makes it too heavy and opulent for me to enjoy more than one glass.
Its that opulence that makes richer styles of Chardonnay so enjoyable to others, like Ostrander, who appreciates the fact that buttery Chardonnay can be both refreshing on a hot day, and hearty enough to keep you interested.
While Quider likes to drink unoaked Chardonnays in warmer weather, she cant deny creamy, buttery, richer styles of the wine are still appealing to many.
I truly believe that Chardonnay is the queen of all wines, she says. And no matter your preference, I feel like there are more options to satisfy all types of customers. Theres truly something for everyone.
Bottles to try:
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What Is Buttery Wine Where Does Buttery Wine Flavor Come From
What is buttery tasting wine?
The term Buttery describes wine with a rich, creamy texture with aromas or flavors reminiscent of melted butter or Toasty Oak. This characteristic is most often found in white wines, particularly Chardonnay, which undergoes Malolactic Fermentation and usually aged in oak barrels.
Buttery can refer to a flavor, smell, texture, or some combination of all three.
Buying Guide For Best Chardonnay
One of the most adaptable and diverse white wines, chardonnay offers a refreshing beverage for most wine drinkers. It can be lean and zesty, rich and creamy, earthy and spiced, or any combination of fruity, herbal, and woody flavors. It all depends on the weather and soil in the region where the grapes are grown, the ripeness of the grapes, and if the wine is aged in oak barrels. That means this green-skinned grape is incredibly versatile.
Chardonnay is the most popular wine grape in the world. It can grow in various climates, from Spain and California to France and New Zealand. Because it has so much to offer wine drinkers, its important to know the salient details that influence how chardonnay tastes, and what the possibilities are. If you tried a glass and didnt like it, it certainly doesnt mean you wont like other chardonnays, even those from the same region.
Our buying guide can help dissect all the flavors, notes, and aromas that make up various bottles of chardonnay, so you can find one that you really enjoy. Weve highlighted a few of our favorites, too.
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What Makes A Buttery Wine
Like we mentioned above, a buttery wine is one with a rich, creamy texture that usually has aromas and/or flavors of melted butter .
This characteristic is most often found in white wines . These wines develop their buttery characteristics by undergoing a special type of fermentation and/or because they were aged in oak barrels.
Barefoot’s New Buttery Chardonnay Has Arrived
At Barefoot, we’re always looking to try something fun and new, while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Yes, we already have an amazing Chardonnay wine in our Barefoot family, but why not create another? Variety is the spice of life, after all, so its time to welcome the oh-so-yummy Buttery Chardonnay to the pack.
We know you love your Chardonnay, so it’s time to tease your taste buds with a fresh approach lets toast with Buttery!
Lets take a peek at the new buttery kid on the block and see how it differs to our traditional Chardonnay. From the blend and grape source to the tasting notes, let’s dig a little deeper to see how these two Chardonnays compare.
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Maggy Hawk Skycrest Vineyard Chardonnay 2019
From Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, this small-production wine serves a high-definition expression of Chardonnay. A creamy nose suggests it went through full or partial malolactic fermentation, and the sweet scent marries nicely with stone fruit scents and a hint of white pepper. Acidity, alcohol, and fruit character land in equal proportions on the palate. Average price: $60. Rating: 90.
Does A Buttery Wine Have Actual Butter In It No But It May Have An Aroma Taste Or Texture Thats Reminiscent Of Butter
If youre just now dipping your toes into the great big delicious world of wine, youve probably run into a few confusing terms. Things like legs on wine, whatever a hot wine is, and more. One thats particularly confusing for newbies is hearing that a wine is buttery.
The idea of actual butter being used in wine is definitely off putting, but fear not. This description doesnt mean that butter was actually used. It usually refers to an aroma, taste, or mouth-feel thats reminiscent of butter.
Sohow does a wine develop this buttery phenomenon? Can you take advantage of this buttery characteristic when pairing wine with food? Read on and find out!
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Try A New Chardonnay And Pick Up All Your Favorite Wines At Family Fare
One great place to start tasting chardonnays is by exploring one winemakers iterations on a varietal. Rodney Strong winery makes a variety of great bottles of chardonnay, all from different AVAs in the Sonoma region of California. Their bottles are a mix of oaked, lightly oaked, and unoaked varieties, so theres something for everyone. Cant decide? Ask one of our in-store experts which Rodney Strong chardonnay is best for you. Even better, theyre on sale in our stores this week!
You can always find an amazing selection of wines and foodsin our stores. Plus, you can always check our weekly ad for deals on your favorites.
Diacetyl Makes Wine Buttery
During MLF, malic acid converts into lactic acid. Malic acid is quite harsh and cool climate regions tend to have a lot more of this harsher acid. Converting it to lactic acid makes the wine much softer. Diacetyl is the byproduct of this process. Its what makes Chardonnay buttery! You may have heard of diacetyl. Its the stuff in processed foods to mimic butter. Keeping the dead yeasts with the wine encourages the production of diacetyl. This is what sur lees means on the label. Lactic sounds like lactose like in milk, right? Well, milk contains lactic acid, too. Thats why wines that go through MLF feel creamy.
This process affects the body, texture, and bouquet of wine. Its the winemakers choice of style that will determine if the wine will go through this secondary conversion. We rarely discuss MLF with red wine even though it happens in all of them. MLF is more rare and therefore more obviously detected in white wines. Chardonnay, especially from California, smells like popcorn and butter from malolactic fermentation. MLF also gives Chardonnay their full-bodied styles and thicker creamy textures. Other white wines that sometimes get the MLF treatment are Viognier, Roussanne, and Sauvignon Blanc.
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Daou Vineyards Paso Robles Chardonnay
DAOU Vineyards makes this wine from Chardonnay grapes grown on its estate in Paso Robles. The wine is vibrant with pronounced aromas of pineapple and green apple that spill out of the bottle. On the palate, the wine is dense and rich with floral and spicy essences of jasmine, nutmeg, and vanilla bean balanced with peach and mango. The finish is long, lush, and mouth-filling with hints of zesty lemon and hazelnut.
Which Is The Better Wine
Buttery and regular Chardonnay are both delicious in their own retrospects. But, as you know by now, both have different profiles and go well with different food. So is the buttery wine better than the regular one? It truly boils down to preference.
Regular Chardonnay is less expensive than the buttery one because its easy to make this kind. The regular one also focuses on the simplicity of the grapes, and thats why you taste the fruitiness. These types can be enjoyed on their own or with a meal that calls for white wine.
Buttery Chardonnay is expensive because its harder to make. The oak barrels have to give off that flavor through the fermentation and malolactic fermentation process to get that buttery flavor. As a result, you can taste the delicious creamy flavors that are enjoyed in oaked chardonnays.
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How To Serve Chardonnay
Temperature is key. A wine served too warm will seem out of balance, with the alcohol too hot. If too cold, the aromas and flavors are muted. Fuller bodied styles are best at 55°F, while leaner versions can be enjoyed at 50°F. A half hour to an hour in the refrigerator will do the trick. As for glassware, a classic white wine glass with a thin rim is perfect. The bowl should be moderately large and should taper towards the top.
Buttery Wines Explained: What It Means & How It Tastes
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How does a flavor such as butter get into your wine? If you dont happen to be a wine expert or a chemist, its not a bad question.
Buttery can refer to a flavor, smell, texture, or some combination of all three and it is most commonly associated with Chardonnay. Buttery flavors usually come from diacetyl, an organic compound that is a natural byproduct of fermentation.
Buttery wine tastes like vanilla, butter, and coconut. The texture (or how it feels in your mouth is described as oily, creamy, smooth, or waxy.
There are actually other factors that make wines taste buttery so please read below! For example, exposing a wine to oak barrels will emphasize buttery notes from the toasting on the inside of the barrel and from the softening effects barrels can have on a wines texture. Also, read below to find some great examples of wines to try in order to give you an idea what buttery wines are like.
What does it mean when wine is buttery?
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Let’s Take A Closer Look
What makes two Chardonnays different from one another? Well, before a bright and distinctive bottle of Barefoot lands on the shelf at your favourite retailer, there are multiple layers of hard work and dedication that create the delicious wine you sip. By switching up the process, our expert winemakers can conjure up distinctive Chardonnays to suit everyones taste. How does our new Barefoot Buttery Chardonnay and our traditional drop differ?
Buena Vista Carneros Chardonnay
This Chardonnay hails from the Carneros wine region of California. It displays aromas and flavors of lemon and apple while hints of butter and vanilla spice linger in the background. Fresh acidity gives the wine a polished edge that only seems to enhance the rich, voluptuous texture through the finish.
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The Science Behind Chardonnays Butter Flavor: Malolactic Fermentation
The creamy texture and flavor of oaked chardonnay is a result of a natural chemical process called malolactic fermentation that happens when wine is stored in oak barrels. During this process, the malic acid found in many fruits changes into lactic acid, which is usually found in milk. This gives oaked chardonnay its distinct buttery qualities.
Henri Prudhon & Fils Puligny
Burgundy is the ancestral home of opulent Chardonnay and this bottle, partially from 30-year-old vines and partially from 80-year-old vines, is no exception. While this is the priciest bottle on the list, its still rather reasonable for Burgundy. This is a good bottle to buy two of one to enjoy now, and one to cellar. Average price: $68.
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Chateau Ste Michelle Chardonnay
- Apple, Citrus, Oak, Peach, Pear
- Food Pairing: Cheese Blue, Cheese Creamy & Bloomy, Cheese Fresh & Soft, Cheese Hard Aged, Cheese Nutty & Semi-Firm, Cheese Stinky, Chicken, Cured Meats, Fish Meaty & Oily, Fruit Dried, Mushrooms, Pork, Root Vegetables, Salads & Greens, Turkey
- Citrus, Creamy, Fruity, Stone Fruit, Vanilla
Are All Oaked Chardonnays The Same As Buttery Chardonnay
Sometimes buttery Chardonnay is confused with Oaked Chardonnay, but its important to note that these two types of Chardonnay are not exclusive. They do often get paired together, where buttery Chardonnays will be aged in oak to give even more nuanced spice and vanilla flavors to the overall wine.
Want to more about Oaked Chardonnay? Visit Oaked vs. Unoaked Chardonnay guide!
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Oaked Chardonnay Worth Another Chance
Oaked chardonnay is a great option for those who enjoy smooth, rich wine. Since the over-oaking follies of decades past, most oaked chardonnay is now more balanced and drinkable while preserving its signature smoothness.
How to Find Oaked Chardonnay by Region
A good chardonnay usually comes from warmer wine-growing regions. Look for your next bottle of oaked chardonnay from southern or eastern Australia Napa Valley or Lake County, California Mendoza, Argentina Burgundy, France or Puglia, Italy.
Oaked Chardonnay Pairing Options
Oaked chardonnay is complex, and pairing it with a dish thats too sweet, too spicy, or too salty is a fast way to make your wine tasting experience less than ideal. One way to make sure your meal and your wine shine is to stick to simply prepared seafood. Try seared scallops or other mollusks, or shellfish prepared as plainly as possible. The complexity in the wine will support the restrained approach to the meal, and the flavors of the food and wine will pop.
Oaked Chardonnays: Our Recommendations
- Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay The chardonnay grapes from the Casablanca Valley in Chile are aged in oak for a delicate sweetness balanced with a touch of minerality.
- Alamos Chardonnay Concentrated flavors of apple and pear are complemented by rich vanilla and spice evidence of malolactic fermentation in the oak aging process.
