 No other wine tastes like Chablis. The soil is
profoundly expressed in the best of Chablis' Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines,
while basic Chablis and Petit Chablis appellations comprise the bulk of
Chablis' production. Take care not to over-chill Chablis, as colder
temperatures mask its special taste.And what is this special taste? It's apples and lemons with rolled oats, cut hay and chamomile to be sure. But it's minerality is penetrating and conjures the memory of our elementary school teachers cleaning the chalkboard with a wet cloth. Descriptors of crushed marine
bones, pulverized rock, bone marrow and pulverized
limestone are often used. While Chardonnay is the vehicle for these flavors, the
taste is distinctly of the land. Chablis owes much of its flavor to fossils called Exogyra virgula. These comma-shaped
fossils characterize the Kimmeridgian marl in which great Chablis is grown.
When wet, this marl gives an aroma that is uncannily similar to the aromas found in a glass of Chablis.
Most domaines age their wines in stainless steel to preserve those
flavors as well as Chablis' piercing freshness. Others opt for barrels of old oak,
and occasionally new oak. With one of the world's most powerful terroirs at
their disposal, the challenge for a Chablisien is not in getting more stuff into the wine, but rather, leaving stuff out!Until the protection of French appellation names, any dry
white wine made from anywhere might have been marketed as "Chablis". True Chablis
comes from the northernmost region of Burgundy, closer to Champagne's Aube
district than the famed vineyards of the Côte d’Or. Chablis, being on the 48th
parallel, represents the northern extent of still Chardonnay cultivation in
Europe. North of there, Chardonnay is produced as a sparkling wine as in
Champagne. Chablis is decidedly continental in climate with warm summers and
cold winters, but latitude and climate only tell part of the story of Chablis' unique taste. There is also a second Chablis soil that must be mentioned:
Portlandien. Like Kimmeridgian, it is a mixture of limestone and clay,
containing marine fossil layers. Centuries of experience have proven
Portlandian soils give lesser wines. These areas have been relegated to the
expanding Petit Chablis appellation. "Neither petit, nor Chablis" as the old saying goes,
the Petit Chablis of only the very best domaines are worth seeking out. The
basic appellation of "Chablis" is where things really get interesting,
especially in areas like Courgis, where growers—without the crutch of
classified vineyards—must work especially hard to make their wines known.
Classifications are not handouts, however, but earned through
proven success. Chablis has seven (official*) Grand Cru vineyards: Les Clos,
Vaudésir, Valmur, Les Preuses, Blanchot, Bougros, and Grenouilles, all entirely
worthy of their Grand Cru status. They occupy a single southwest-facing hillside, facing the town
of Chablis itself, as do the two best Premier Crus: Montée de Tonnerre and Fourchaume. Perhaps Chablis' greatest gift lies in its myriad of Premier Crus: Montmains,
Mont de Milieu, Vaillons, and Séchet to name a few. There are 40 of these Premier Crus located near and around the town of Chablis but, in practice, just 17 of these vineyard names are commonly used. Within these 17 "umbrella vineyards", however, come some of Chablis' most sought-after wines. Bottlings like Vincent Dauvissat's La Forêt and François Raveneau's Butteaux are two notable examples, both of which can be found in the Premier Cru of Montmains. *The vineyard named La Moutonne is located within Les Preuses and Vaudésir and is a monopole of Long-Depaquit. The Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) does not recognize La Moutonne as an "official" Grand Cru. Long-Depaquit produces this wine and continues to label it Grand Cru.
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