Talk the chalk Does Chablis deserve its reputation as one of the great wines?
NOWHERE in the world is terroir more specific than Burgundy. And when it comes to Chablis, chalk holds the key. There are some wine regions with great reputations that suddenly all make sense when you visit them. The vineyards of Chablis are like that. It’s the slope and the aspect that that makes the vineyards stand out. The soil of all Chablis makes a huge contribution to the flavour. Here Chardonnay takes on a chalky, mineral element far leaner than the buttery whites of the Côte d’ Or.
Chablis is one of the greatest wines of the world – and that’s a fact. It is brisk and fruity, very dry and with refreshing acidity. Its name comes from the village of Chablis located at the north of the Burgundy region. Chablis wines are made from the Chardonnay grape and come only form the Chablis section in the north of Burgundy. Chablis is a white wine, made from the Chardonnay grape grown in a very flinty soil. Visitors to the area are often surprised by the rocky quality of this landscape. It is this Kimmeridgian limestone that gives Chablis its distinctive flavour.
Chablis was first ‘wined’ back in the 500s – a monastery was built there and invading Romans brought along wine wherever they went. When Charlemagne set up a base there it was very important that wine be offered to visiting guests. By the 1400s Chablis was a well-known region, but it shortly fell to war and fighting in the 1600s. Just as it recovered from these, it was hit by phylloxera troubles that hit just about every other region of the continent. It was set aside as an Appellation d’origine around 1937-1938. Fifty years ago there were just 400 hectares of vineyards in Chablis, but today there are 4,900ha. Both the generic and premier cru vineyards have doubled since the early 1970s and now include areas of Portlandian as well as traditional Klimmeridgian clay.
The four appellations given there are based on the type of land the vines are grown on. There are: Chablis Grand Cru at the north bank of Serein river, Premier Cru south – and west – facing hills, Chablis north- and east – facing hills and Petit Chablis the flat ground. There are only seven Grand cru vineyards: Les Clos, Blanchots, Bourgos, Vaudésir, Valmur, Preuses and Grenouilles. There are around 40 Premier Crus, with some smaller vineyards falling under the name of a larger group. For example, Chapelot Pied d Áloue and Cote de Brechain all fall under the name Montee de Tonnerre.
The future is looking brighter than ever for lovers of quality Chablis. France’s Viticultural governing body, the INAO, is set to enforce the yields laid down in the appellation controllée regulations. As much as 80 per cent of the wine goes overseas. It is magnificent with chicken, peasant, quail, turkey and any kind of fish, lobster, clams, and match made in heaven with oysters.
Does Chablis justify its reputation? Yes it does
Wine of the Week
2002 Chablis Premier Cru Montmains, Jean-Marc Brocard Alcohol Volume 13%
Jean-Marc says “The truth of wine lies in the soil where it has grown. The technique is an important factor in the wine growing, but it is only an aid; the wine is essentially a product of its soil”. And how true this is, from one of the best and young wine makers in the Chablis region. This Premier Cru from Montmains vineyards owned by Brocard has a pale lemon-straw yellow colour; it is a pure essence of earth and stones. Deep concentration of fruity, ripe yellow apple – and floral aromas on the nose, crispy with great length and elegance on the palate along with hints of citrus notes, it makes this wine a classic Chablis. Its seductive mineral style will please everyone. Can age for two to four years more and it is served at 10º-12ºC. Try this with fish with creamy sauce and white meat. Excellent with prawn saganaki, as I had found out. Distributed by Oak Tree in Larnaca.
