Chablis
Today we continue our Chardonnay journey in the historic winemaking Appellation d'Origin Controllee (AOC) of Chablis. It's the northernmost AOC in Bourgogne (Burgundy) and is actually closer to the AOC of Champagne than it is to most of Bourgogne.
We flew into Paris and took a lovely boat ride down the Seine to the area around Dijon, took a quick ride to the Serein and road a small boat on the Serein to the point where it meets the Yonne in the little town of Chablis. Here, the summer evenings are quite cool and the days merely temperate. We notice nothing but vineyards, the most ornate of them all sitting on gentle slopes and facing southwest. The southwest facing slopes get the most constant and brightest summer sunshine, perfect for growing Chardonnay in the otherwise cool (for France) wine-growing region.
As we spend our day going from chateau to chateau, we note that at most, there is no sign of oak anywhere. We learn that even among the 7 Grand Cru and 40 Premier Cru, oak is used quite sparingly. Unlike in the Napa style, winemakers in Chablis prefer to let the Chardonnay speak for itself and fear that oak will change, and not in a good way, the character of the only grape grown in Chablis.
The wines here are quite lean and crisp by the standards most American Chardonnay drinkers judge the grape. It's light and crisp, bone dry, fairly low in alcohol (typically around 12% ABV), and has striking minerality. In fact, the soil of Chablis is said to be composed of the remnants of oyster shells from the era when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
On the nose, we get lime zest and white flowers with a hint of chalk. On the palate, the acidity comes through, often in notes of exotics such as quince and star fruit along with that chalky minerality.
Pair your Chablis with oysters. It's one of those classic pairings. However, if you don't like oysters or can't find any, consider it with the likes of goat cheese, smoked trout, or escargot.
We flew into Paris and took a lovely boat ride down the Seine to the area around Dijon, took a quick ride to the Serein and road a small boat on the Serein to the point where it meets the Yonne in the little town of Chablis. Here, the summer evenings are quite cool and the days merely temperate. We notice nothing but vineyards, the most ornate of them all sitting on gentle slopes and facing southwest. The southwest facing slopes get the most constant and brightest summer sunshine, perfect for growing Chardonnay in the otherwise cool (for France) wine-growing region.
As we spend our day going from chateau to chateau, we note that at most, there is no sign of oak anywhere. We learn that even among the 7 Grand Cru and 40 Premier Cru, oak is used quite sparingly. Unlike in the Napa style, winemakers in Chablis prefer to let the Chardonnay speak for itself and fear that oak will change, and not in a good way, the character of the only grape grown in Chablis.
The wines here are quite lean and crisp by the standards most American Chardonnay drinkers judge the grape. It's light and crisp, bone dry, fairly low in alcohol (typically around 12% ABV), and has striking minerality. In fact, the soil of Chablis is said to be composed of the remnants of oyster shells from the era when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
On the nose, we get lime zest and white flowers with a hint of chalk. On the palate, the acidity comes through, often in notes of exotics such as quince and star fruit along with that chalky minerality.
Pair your Chablis with oysters. It's one of those classic pairings. However, if you don't like oysters or can't find any, consider it with the likes of goat cheese, smoked trout, or escargot.
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