Chablis is Burgundy's northern-most region and home to some of the most strikingly terroir-focused wines in the world. Classic aromas of sea shell, smoke, iodine, laser-focused and high-toned fruit (apple, citrus) come from the combination... Read More

Chablis is Burgundy's northern-most region and home to some of the most strikingly terroir-focused wines in the world. Classic aromas of sea shell, smoke, iodine, laser-focused and high-toned fruit (apple, citrus) come from the combination of Chardonnay grape, cool northern climate, and limestone-rich kimmeridgian soils.

The essence of Chablis – the thing that sets it apart from all other Burgundies – is its stony soul. The appellation is defined by the Kimmeridgian marls of clay and limestone (flecked with ancient, fossilized seashells) that sit over limestone subsoils. That soil, together with Chablis’ northern climate, make wines that are electric with acidity and minerality. 

Except when they do something else.

And when is that? Well, as you go up the ladder from the Village wines through the Premier Crus to the Grand Crus, you find sites that get more sunshine and more ripeness. Yes, they have supremely stony soils, and the wines retain all that mineral goodness. 

But on the Grand Cru slope, with sun beating down, the grapes get a ripeness that complements the minerality, and a depth that lets them age for many years. They aren’t less mineral (to the contrary!)– but they are just, generally, more. More fruit, more weight, more depth and especially, more specific terroir expression.