There is so much diversity in Burgundy's white wines, even though there is only one key grape variety represented.

Burgundy's main white grape variety, Chardonnay, is a bit of a Chameleon in that it adapts and expresses itself brilliantly within different climates and soil types, as well as through various vinification and viticultural methods. It is also affected by other factors such as vintage variations, market influences, and restrictions and limitations within different trade and legal structures.

Burgundy's northern continental climate varies from the cool temperatures of Chablis to the warmer extremes of the Macon. Throughout Burgundy, Chardonnay can be lean and steely as in Chablis, to lemony and soft in the Cote de Beaune's moderate climate, to full-bodied and rich in the warmer regions of the Macon.

Soil types remain fairly consistent in Burgundy, with most vineyards planted over a limestone base. However, the Kimmeridgian overlay in Chablis with its unique influence of marine fossils gives Chardonnay a certain chalky, mineral vibrancy. The marl/clay overlay in the rest of Burgundy (excluding Beaujolais) lends a silky softness to Chardonnay. The generally poor soil and limestone base throughout Burgundy force the Chardonnay vines to struggle to find water and nutrients. This struggle alone lends a complexity to these wines that is unique to Burgundy. Along with soil type, regional site and slope aspect influences the grape greatly. The sun-drenched midslopes along the Cote D'Or, for instance, allow the vines to struggle and benefit from maximum sunlight and excellent drainage. However, a vineyard along the lower plains may not get the same amount of sunlight and drainage, resulting in higher yields and less complex fruit. All of this can be summed up in one word-terroir. Terroir is one of the hottest topics surrounding Burgundy.

Vinification techniques can greatly influence the style of the finished wine. Chardonnay can be fermented in stainless steel, lined concrete, or oak. Depending on the fermentation or maturation vessel, the result can be anything from a clean, steely wine from the neutral vessels or a rich and creamy wine with vanilla notes from oak barrels, and of course, everything in between. The winemaker also has the choice of letting the wine go through malolactic fermentation (MLF--the second fermentation a wine would naturally go through to convert the harsher malic acid into the softer lactic acid), or not. Not allowing MLF, as in most Chablis, will result in a nervier, more acidic wine, while allowing MLF would result in a richer, creamier style wine. Other factors affecting vinification could include cold soaking to allow phenolic influence, lees stirring for a creamier texture, and temperature control in all aspects of each process.

Chardonnay holds up to many types of maturation techniques. It can be finished in stainless steel or another neutral vessel to retain a clean, fresh flavor of the grape itself. It can also be matured in new or used oak barrels, which, depending on the age and the length of time in barrel, can impart vanilla, caramel, and spicy flavors as well as creamy, viscous textures. It can also impart phenolic texture or tannins from the oak, giving the impression of fuller body and richer intensity of flavors and textures.

Vintage variation plays a major part in the characteristics of Chardonnay in Burgundy. In extremely cool vintages in Chablis, for instance, the grapes may barely get ripe enough to make good wine. Even if grapes are picked and fermented, it could be too cold to keep the fermentation going. In other parts of Burgundy, temperatures are not as extreme. However, in very hot vintages, such as 2003, much of the Chardonnay made had very low acidity and tended to be unbalanced. Obviously a cooler vintage can yield a much leaner, higher acid wine. Certain regions and specialty sites within Burgundy are able to deal with these issues better than others and adapt to the vintage variations. Aside from terroir, this is one of the main influences of varietal characteristics within Burgundy.

Within the various trade and legal structures in Burgundy, different levels of wines are made for various markets. The top levels of Burgundy, (i.e. The Grand Crus and Premiere Crus) are made in such small quantities and generally have more labor focused on each vine, leading to a more structured, complex wine that has the capacity to age and gain complexity over many years, even decades. Generally speaking, more mass produced wines made through co-ops and negociants tend to come from vineyards with much higher yields, possibly mechanical harvesting, etc that can lead to a less complex wine that is meant for more immediate consumption and will not improve with bottle age.

Lastly, the human factor plays in to all aspects of the diversity of Chardonnay in Burgundy. Without the winemaker to decide on viticultural and vinification techniques, where to plant, when to pick, how to ferment and age the wine, to bottling and marketing strategies, there would be no diversity within Burgundy. Fortunately, there is a wealth of styles and price points of Chardonnay to keep anyone interested in Burgundian whites for a lifetime.