About Chablis

All Chablis wines are made from the Chardonnay grape.

The cool climate in Chablis produces wines with more acidity and less flavors than Chardonnay wines grown in warmer climates.

The balance of clay and limestone plays an important role in the flavors of Chablis.

Chablis wines often have a "flinty" and "steely" note.

Chablis is typically unoaked to preserve the expression of the terroir.

Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru can be oaked.

Traditionally the wines from Chablis were sent to the capita, Paris, in old barrels by boat. The empty barrels were returned to be filled again. That's why there is no tradition for new oak in Chablis.

By contrast, in Meursault, the barrels of wine were not returned and new oak barrels were needed to keep the trade going.

Today, in Meursault, the new oak barrel tradition continues.

Both Chablis and Meursault are Chardonnay but the stamp of place creates 2 very different wines.

Grand Cru Chablis

The best Chablis wines come the 7 vineyards ranked Grand Cru:
Vaudésir, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Valmur, Blanchots, Preuses, and Bougros.

Premier Cru Chablis

Wines from the ca 40 Premier Cru vineyards are almost as fine as the Grand Cru wines, but often have half a degree less alcohol and tends to have less flavor intensity.

Chablis AOC

The generic AOC Chablis is the largest appellation in the region.

Petit Chablis AOC

Petit Chablis is an AOC for wines produced outside the town Chablis. Petit Chablis grows in soil with lower limestone content than Chablis and Chablis Crus. These wines normally have higher acidity and more citrus-like flavors.