Duplessis Chablis 1er Montmains
$96.99
The 2017 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru has a crisp and taut, slighty austere bouquet that takes time to get warmed up in the glass, retaining those classic flint and smoke aromas. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a fine bead of acidity, touches of orange rind and dried apricot with a gentle, caressing finish that seems to just " wash over" the senses.
Organic farming and natural winemaking are not the first things to come to mind when thinking of Chablis. Industrial farming is commonplace, with chemical pesticides and mechanical harvesting in the vines and lab yeasts and other winemaking tricks in the cellar. There are, however, a few producers working against the norm, farming with respect for the earth and employing traditional methods in the cellar. Lilian Duplessis not only farms organically (certified as of the 2013 vintage), he continuously succeeds in making some of the most profound, energetic, and simply delicious wines that Chablis can offer.
Chablis is a region well-known for its unique Kimmeridgian soils. Light gray in colour (almost white, in fact) and limestone based, the soils formed around 150 million years ago. These soils are rich with Exogyra virgule – tiny oyster fossils from when the region was underwater, which give a sharp, mineral aspect to these famed wines.
Lilian is the second generation of vignerons to farm 9 hectares of old vines planted by his father, Gérard, and produces wines from the Village level as well as some of the most prestigious Premier and Grand Cru vineyard sites. His philosophy for working in harmony with the earth translates to how he works in the cellar: native yeast fermentations, long lees ageing in stainless steel tank followed by a six-to-eighteen month (depending on the vintage) elévage in neutral oak barrels before being bottled with a minimal addition of sulphur.
These are powerful wines that are built for ageing and will reward patient cellaring.
Duplessis Chablis 1er Vaillons
$87.99
The 2017 Chablis Vaillon 1er Cru, has a tightly wound bouquet with Granny Smith apple, oyster shell and just a touch of dried apricot lending a mote of exoticism. The palate is very well balanced with quite a racy opeing, a linear and poised Vaillons full of tension with just a tang of lemongrass brightening up the finish. Very classy, though unlike the aromatics, the final half is quite understated for a Vaillons.
An assemblage of four plots exposed to the southeast on a clay-sandy soil. This seducer is kept from three to ten years. Its "exotic" nose and its wide and fruity mouth will take you by the feelings.
A family domaine for five generations now, Lilian is the latest vigneron of an estate created in 1895, taking over for his father Gerard in 1999. After going to school and internships in the region (“There was no point in making Sauvignon blanc in New Zealand, I needed to know how to work Chardonnay in Burgundy” he says), Lilian has turned the domaine into one of the very few organic estates in Chablis.
Peregrins Chablis
$56.99
Eléonore Moreau Chablis comes from the small, picturesque village of Poilly-sur-Serein, located 15 minutes away from the the town of Chablis. Within this village, Eléonore is the only winemaker to commercialize and bottle her wine (only about 15% of her production is bottled for export), and we are so glad she decided to share her wines with the world! This Chablis is a remarkable wine for the price point. It is elegant and refined; Notes of yellow apple, lemon, lime and expressive minerality! A fantastic wine to pair with delicate seafood, goat cheese and cucumber salad.
Eleonore Moreau Chablis Magnum
$114.99
Eleonore Moreau's family had been farming grapes from their vineyards in Chablis since the 1980s and in 2011 she made the decision to produce their own wines rather than selling the fruit to other producers. There's a classic Chablis purity that runs through her wines, in part due to the Kimmeridgian limestone soils that are part of Chablis' claim to fame. Aged in stainless steel (without the influence of oak), the wines remain on their less for 12 - 18 months prior to bottling. The extended lees times lend them richness and complexity with the classic Chablis minerality at the forefront.
Peregrins Moreau Chablis Sur Vaucorme
$68.99
Eléonore Moreau is not only the only female bottler in the tiny village of Poilly sur Serein, but the only bottler, period - all other producers instead sell their fruit to the Chablisienne. Low yields in 2019 threatened Moreau's production, but they did not prevent her from releasing this truly transcendent vintage of her flagship Petit Chablis. With the ultimate goal of avoiding intervention in order to allow the Petit Chablis to speak for itself, Pérégrinations is a tour-de-force with amble richness and depth.
Peregrins Chablis 1er Cru 2022
$86.99
Eléonore Moreau is not only the only female winemaker in the tiny village of Poilly sur Serein, but the only winemaker period - all other producers instead sell their fruit to the Chablisienne. Low yields in 2019 threatened Moreau's production, but they did not prevent her from releasing this truly transcendent vintage of her flagship Petit Chablis. With the ultimate goal of avoiding intervention in order to allow the Petit Chablis to speak for itself, Her premier cru Cote de Jouan is a stunning Chablis with great aging potential, up to 15 years or more in ideal cellar conditions.
Peregrins Petit Chablis Beauregard
$52.99
Domaine Peregrins is a small artisinal Chablis producer ownd by Dominique Moreau, who also serves as winemaker. This Chablis is from a single vineyard site from 50-year-old vines, exhibting classic notes of minerality, citrus and stone fruits. A KWM exclusive.
Lavantureux Chablis Fourchaume
$114.99
Upon completion of his wine education in Beaune, Roland Lavantureux established his winery 1978 in the village of Lignorelles in the Chablis appellations. In a short period of time, Domaine Lavantureux has become one of the region’s most celebrated and respected producers. In 2010, Roland’s two sons, Arnaud and David, took over the domaine. Together they farm 20 hectares of prime vineyards on kimmeridgian soils across the Chablis appellation, including key premier and grand cru sites such as Vau de Vey and Vaudésir, respectively. Their vineyards are farmed sustainably paying close attention to the natural biodiversity of the surrounding area. In the cellar, the vision of the estate is to produce intensely mineral wines that are reflective of the specific vineyard site.
Pinson Chablis 2023
$61.99
In a region so steeped in history (and prehistory) as Chablis, Domaine Pinson stands out, having farmed in this famous village since 1640, making them one of the oldest families in the entire appellation. Today, the domaine is run by the dynamic Charlène Pinson and her father Laurent. They own 14 hectares of the crème de la crème of Chablis terroir, with prime holdings in six premier crus and the grandest cru of them all, Les Clos. This father-daughter team are great stewards of their famed parcels, never using any herbicides or pesticides in the vineyards, and working with organic methods to express these limestone-laden sites. In the cellar, their philosophy is defined by an informed flexibility. Some vineyards are barrel fermented, while others are fermented in tank. Aging sees a variety of vessels, including older barrels and stainless steel; Charlène and Laurent follow no dogma, only using experience to determine the best approach to express their terroir. It is an intuitive process, one which results in a stunning display of intense purity across the Domaine Pinson range, seamlessly marrying the historical grandeur found in Kimmeridgian marl and the noble Chardonnay of Burgundy.