I often tease my winemaker friends in Burgundy’s Côte d’or that my favorite Chardonnay is Blanc de Blancs Champagne. I get a pass on that, though sometimes with a hesitant, sideways glance or sometimes with an eye roll. What I don’t dare say is that I think the most unique expressions of Chardonnay come from Chablis…. This is precisely why Chablis is one of my favorite Chardonnay places on the planet.
Read MoreIsabelle Raveneau hired 33% more harvest helpers to bring in her 2018 crop. For the first time since 2011, her cellar was full; the domaine's full yield potential was reached. Moreover, she called the grapes "excellent", and Isabelle is not one to embellish. Neither the warmth of the vintage nor the house style marked the wines as much as their terroirs. In a region as distinctly diverse in terroir and as laser-focused on a single variety as Chablis, I always find that thrilling.
Read More"A lot of great wine was distilled in 2018," Vincent Dauvissat lamented. Vincent had never seen a vintage like 2018 - unprecedented, high volumes coupled with top quality. (At least chez lui, I'll insert with regard to the last bit. Not everyone was as successful as he was in managing the 2018 vintage.) Quelle frustration!
Read MoreYou can’t beat the name Domaine du Chardonnay for an enterprise that produces 38 hectares of domaine-owned Chablis. Founded in 1987 by a trio of friends, Etienne Boileau, William Nahan and Christian Simon, they had to come up with a non-family name. Those are pretty rare for wineries in Chablis. As they say, sometimes simplest is best, and these guys nailed it for marketing purposes!
Read MoreThe 2016 vintage will long live as a legend in Chablis. Everything that could have happened in a growing season did. Brows furrowed deeper and more hair turned gray - or even white -than in any vintage in recent memory. In fact, even the old timers say they’ve never seen anything like it.
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