The “buttery-ness” of some Chardonnays comes from new oak barrels. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

When a wine is described as tasting buttery, that flavor came, not from the barrels, but from malolactic fermentation. During malolactic fermentation, a by-product called diacetyl is produced. Diacetyl is the molecule that makes butter taste buttery. So, wines that have experienced malolactic fermentation—like Chardonnay—are often buttery.