Chablis

Chablis white wines are the "most popular white wines in France," according to Burgundy winemakers! It's undeniable that Chablis AOC wines are frequent recipients of medals and other accolades in wine guides (such as the Hachette Wine Guide or the Revue du Vin de France). Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC): Chablis wines. Chablis is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée located in the Burgundy wine region. The appellation is situated in the Yonne department, 20 kilometers east of Auxerre. It produces white wines of exceptional quality made from a single grape variety: Chardonnay. Chablis is available under several appellations: Petit Chablis, Chablis and Chablis Premier Cru, and Chablis Grand Cru. As an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, Chablis has a delimited production area and specific production requirements. While today, the area planted in Chablis is While the area now covers approximately 5,800 hectares, this wasn't always the case. In 1955, with the phylloxera crisis and then the two World Wars, Chablis had only 550 hectares of vines. How can you recognize Chablis wines? Chablis wines are dry white wines distinguished by their freshness, finesse, and minerality. The Chardonnay grape variety expresses itself in Chablis like nowhere else. It draws its personality and character from a 150-million-year-old subsoil and ripens in ideal conditions, under a semi-continental climate, allowing it to achieve a beautiful balance between its sugar content and its freshness. To help you, here are the characteristics of the four Chablis appellations: Chablis Grand Cru. Chablis Grand Cru has been an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) since 1938. The color of these white wines is golden with some green highlights, tending towards pale yellow when fully mature. On the nose, one can find aromas of dried fruit, honey, almond, or even butter. On the palate, it is very balanced and harmonious with a lovely acidity. Chablis Premier Cru is an AOC that represents 16% of the Chablis vineyard's production. It is characterized by a very pale gold color with green highlights. It has a rather complex aroma, with a blend of iodine and mineral notes, and a hint of undergrowth. This aroma is accentuated by notes of citrus, blackcurrant leaves, or almonds. Chablis wine is dry and lively, with a rounded mouthfeel. Its aging potential can reach 10 to 15 years in the cellar. Chablis is the Burgundy appellation located between the two banks of the Serein River, extending over about twenty communes. It is the majority production of the vineyard, representing more than 64% of the wines produced. It is a very dry white wine with a Pale gold or green-gold in color, with emerald or gray highlights. Very fresh, the wine is perfumed with lemon and green apple, accompanied by a hint of undergrowth and mushrooms. With age, the white wine's color deepens to gold with an accentuation of spicy aromas. It has a cellaring potential of 3 to 5 years. Petit Chablis is the most recent of the four appellations, representing 18% of the region's wine production. Petit Chablis is a pale gold wine with silver or green highlights. It is characterized by aromas of white flowers, hawthorn or acacia, as well as grapefruit and lemon. On the palate, the wine is very light with a good balance of acidity and richness. Its cellaring potential is approximately 2 years, which is, needless to say, less than the other wines mentioned earlier. What is the terroir of Chablis? Chablis Chablis is a vineyard in northern Burgundy known for being a sedimentary basin. The subsoil of the Chablis vineyards is called Kimmeridgian. This geological stage dates back to the Upper Jurassic period, approximately 150 million years ago. This soil, typical of Chablis, is an alternation of marl and marly limestone characterized by the presence of a small, comma-shaped oyster, Exogyra virgula. It is in this particular and unique soil that Chablis wine draws its typicity, finesse, and minerality. The climate is semi-continental with long winters and hot summers. Overall, the climate of the Yonne department has an oceanic influence and exhibits significant variations. Spring frost is a characteristic of the vineyards. Over time, and after significant losses in some years, winemakers have learned to manage these climatic events. Starting in 1959, the first heaters appeared in the vineyards. Today, to combat frost, Several techniques are used to combat frost: candles, heating cables, anti-frost netting… but also sprinklers on several plots of Chablis Premier and Grand Cru vineyards. Sprinkling involves projecting droplets of water onto the vines, which freeze on contact with the bud, forming a protective cocoon around it, because frozen water is and remains at 0°C! It's the igloo strategy! The history of the appellation? The history of the Chablis vineyards begins in 1114 when the Cistercian monk Hugues de Mâcon founded the Pontigny Abbey and planted vines to provide for his needs. It was primarily the Cistercian monks who developed the vineyards. Chablis wine quickly became popular, so much so that it soon appeared on the tables of the Kings of France. It gradually spread throughout the world. We can find the first written record of a Chablis wine transaction outside of its region in 1455. region. At the end of the 19th century, the Chablis region experienced a major crisis. Phylloxera and mildew attacked the vineyards. The vines were ravaged by this disease and then by the war in 1914. It wasn't until the end of World War II that the vineyards returned to prominence. The work of the winegrowers brought the vines back to life through the grafting of Chardonnay vines and the use of Bordeaux mixture to combat mildew. Thanks to all these efforts, the Chablis vineyards flourished once again. The 1970 vintage brought renewed prosperity to Chablis.