[2], During the Middle Ages the Catholic Church, particularly Cistercian monks, became a major influence in establishing the economic and commercial interest of viticulture for the region. The amount of barrel maturation, if any, is a stylistic choice which varies widely among Chablis producers. Chablis. [1], Located in northeast France, the Chablis region is considered the northernmost extension of the Burgundy wine region but it is separated from the Côte d'Or by the Morvan hills, with the main Burgundian winemaking town of Beaune located more than 62 miles (100 km) away. These tastings are conducted blind. In common with most websites, majestic.co.uk uses "cookies".

[2], For the Chablis vine training system, see, Institut National des Appellations d'Origine, Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne, "Hail in Chablis vineyards adds to frost woes - Decanter", "In Chablis, Shared Ends and Contested Means", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chablis_wine&oldid=968068051, France articles missing geocoordinate data, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 July 2020, at 01:43.

[25] Like most white Burgundies, Chablis can benefit from some bottle age.
The low level of ripeness of many of the harvested grapes gives the wine a steely and flinty taste known as “goût de pierre à fusil”, which translates as “tasting of gunflint”.

[12][19], There are seven officially delineated Grand Cru climats, covering an area of 247 acres (100 ha), all located on one southwest facing hill overlooking the town of Chablis at elevations between 490–660 feet (150–200 metres). [16], At harvest time, AOC regulations stipulate grapes for Grand Cru vineyard must be picked with a potential alcohol level of at least 11 percent, at least 10.5 percent for Premiers Crus and 9.5 percent for AOC Chablis vineyards. While cost is a factor in using smudge pots, there is a risk to the aspersion method if the constant sprinkling of water is interrupted of causing worse damage to the vine. Chablis Elodie Duprés is a steal. Expand My Wine Knowledge Learning about wine, and holding onto it, depends on reliable tasting notes. Each wine is a tribute to the vineyard’s microclimate and a bit of intangible magic that even winemakers struggle to explain. [11] Many Chablis producers gave up winemaking, the acreage in the region steadily declining throughout much of the early 20th century. Second in quality are the Premier Cru vineyards, which numbered 40 at the turn of the 21st century, covering an area of 1,853 acres (750 ha). [23], At the turn of the 21st century, there were 40 Premier Cru vineyards. Chablis, on the other hand, is aged either in tanks, or very-well used oak barrels which do not infuse these same flavors. [3] Anséric de Montréal gave a vineyard at Chablis to the Abbey in 1186.

Chablis winemakers want to emphasize the terroir of the calcareous soil and cooler climate that help maintain high acidity. (Northern Burgundy). Some of the "umbrella" vineyards are Mont de Milieu, Montée de Tonnerre, Fourchaume, Vaillons, Montmains, Beauroy, Vaudevey, Vaucoupin, Vosgros, Les Fourneaux, Côte de Jouan and Les Beauregards. Some examples of Chablis can have an earthy "wet stone" flavor that intensifies as it ages, before mellowing into delicate honeyed notes. [1], In recent years, Chablis producers have fought hard to protect the Chablis designation, using legal means to make foreign countries respect it.
The region's oldest soil dates back to the Upper Jurassic age, over 180 million years ago and includes a vineyard soil type that is calcareous, and known as Kimmeridge Clay. Great with Salmon. One of the objectives of the AOC establishment was to protect the name "Chablis", which by this time was already being inappropriately used to refer to just about any white wine made from any number of white grape varieties all across the world. Please enable JavaScript and reload this page. [9] The 19th-century Russian novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy mentions "classic Chablis" as a commonplace choice of wine. Chablis is one of the most well-known regions in France producing one of the most famous styles of Chardonnay that winemakers the world round try to imitate. To produce Chablis the weather conditions have to be exactly right, a cool spring or fall can kill the vines and stop the grapes from ripening at all, destroying whole vintages. Find crisp citrus fruits, a hint of white flowers and a touch of oatmeal. [12] It has a semi-continental climate without maritime influence. The INAO permits the use of "umbrella names": smaller, lesser known vineyards are allowed to use the name of a nearby more famous Premier Cru vineyard. Unlike most white Burgundies, Chablis wines rarely taste of oak.

The Grand Crus, the best vineyards in the area, all lie on a single, small slope, facing southwest and located just north of the town of Chablis. To find out more about this, Mâcon-Lugny Louis Latour from only £10.99, Louis Roederer Brut Premier from only £35.99, Heidsieck & Co. 26, OF

The limestone clay and cool climate that is found in this area help to produce a fresh white wine packed with minerality that can age gracefully and is truly unique.