100% Chardonnay.
Nice pale golden green color, limpid and bright.
The nose reveals the aromatic wealth of Chablis’ terroir with mineral notes of flint, enhanced by hints of acacia honey.
The mouth is frank, round, with a touch of honey and a spicy finish ; a wine with character.
This wine is excellent paired with smoked salmon, trout and other freshwater fish, as well as with white meats and creamy cheeses.
Serve ideally at a temperature of 12-14°C. (54-57°F.).
This wine can be enjoyed now or kept in the cellar for the next three years.
Chablis, located near Auxerre in the Yonne department, is one of Burgundy's most northerly vineyards. It is characterised by the fact that it produces only white wines from the Chardonnay grape variety, and by its geology, which is based mainly on Kimmeridgian soil. The appellation has 40 climats and lieux dits classified as premier cru.
- Soil and subsoil Middle and Upper Kimmeridgian.
- Alternating limestone and marl.
- Medium to steep slopes.
- South-west to south-facing.
- Altitude between 250 metres.
The grapes were brought to the winery and pressed delicately in a pneumatic press. The must was then cooled down and left to settle, in order to get rid of the roughest lees. The alcoholic fermentation was lead in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats at a temperature between 18° and 20°C (64°-68°F) in order to keep as much fruit as possible in the wine. The malolactic fermentation was completed in order to mellow its aromas and get less acidity.
Then, the wine was aged on its lees for 18 months with regular pumping over. A small part of the wine (15%) was aged in oak barrels, all of them having already received 1 or 2 vintages to age, so that the oak will leave a discreet imprint on the wine.
Nature certainly set a challenge for the winegrower and the winemaker with this vintage.
It began with very warm temperatures at the end of February which led to an early bud break.
The historic frost in April then destroyed young shoots that had emerged too early, significantly affecting the future harvest. Changing weather continued to characterize the vintage through to the harvests. There were spells of rain from May to mid-August, obliging winegrowers to be constantly on the alert. The only periods of relative calm were during flowering, which took place in good conditions for the formation of the future fruit, and the véraison (colour change), which benefited from the return of the sun from mid-August.
The vagaries of the weather contributed to the development of outbreaks of disease, which were contained thanks to the tireless efforts of our winegrowers. In spite of this, considerable sacrifices had to be made to ensure a high level of quality, and rigorous sorting of the fruit in the vineyard and on arrival at the winery was necessary.
This vintage also required a major technical effort. The vinifications had to be carried out with meticulous attention and precision. We took particular care over the extraction of colouring matter, the balance of the structure and the aromatic expression of our red wines, and of the freshness, balance of acidity and aromatic potential of our white wines.
From the first tastings, this vintage presented excellent flavour and aroma potential, and the balance of acidity was contained. The wines are less sunny, revealing a more moderate character, lighter in terms of alcohol and in tannic structure. These are wines that will assert their personalities by offering a diverse palette of flavours and textures, like the growing season.
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