Chablis

Question 1

Tasting profile

Answer 1

Dry, medium body, medium alcohol, with zesty high acidity, green apple and lemon flavors.

Minimal or no oak flavor though fermentation and aging may may be used for some premier and grand crus

Question 2

Quality profile

Answer 2

Large range from good to outstanding

Mid priced to premium with a few super premium

Question 3

Total hectarage

Answer 3

5,500 ha

Up from just 500 in 1945 (devastating frost) among other issues

Question 4

Climate

Answer 4

Continental with cold winters and warm summers

Marked vintage variation due to due to northern location and uncertainty about ripening

Question 5

Rainfall

Answer 5

670 mm

Spread throughout the year for a moist climate and high threat of fungal disease and issues at harvest with rain and rot

Question 6

Growing Hazards

Answer 6

Fungal disease from rain spread throughout year
Spring frosts
Hail
Both of which have had sig impact on yields in recent vintages

Question 7

Soils

Answer 7

Limestone and clay

Some with considerable amounts of fossilized seashells known as Kimmeridgian soil

Question 8

Managing spring frosts

Answer 8

Smudge Pots: smoky, air pollution, labor
Sprinklers (aspiration): most popular, installation and maintenance costs means it’s only realistic for vineyard with a good return on investment (premier / grand cru) or well funded co’s
Pruning choices: later pruning promotes later bud burst, reducing the chance of damage from frost

Question 9

Vineyard Management

Answer 9

41B (vinifera & berlandieri) rootstock widely used - highly tolerant of limestone soils with a high pH
420A (riparia x berlandieri) popular due to low vigor and high tolerance of pH soils

Double Guyot is typical (good if one doesn’t survive frost)

Yields are higher than cote d’or but reduced due to hail and frost

Much is machine picked but Grand crus are typically on slopes that require hand

Question 10

Petit Chablis

Answer 10

Higher cooler vineyards on Portlandian soils (hard limestone with less clay)

On flat land or gentle slopes
Varying aspects with many north facing leading to light bodied wines high acidity and light green apple and lemon

Question 11

Chablis

Answer 11

Kimmeridgian soil

flat land or gentle slopes
Varying aspects with many north facing leading to light bodied wines high acidity and medium green apple and lemon

Question 12

Chablis Premier Cru

Answer 12

40 named vineyards
on south and south east facing slopes of Kimmeridgian soil

Some have specified named plots (lieux-dits). they can be labeled with this site like Chablis Premier Cru Troesemes) or under the larger Climat (Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy)

Climat is a named vineyard fixed in AOC legislation; Lieu-dit is a named piece of land in the registrar.

Question 13

Chablis Grand Cru

Answer 13

Single Grand Cru with seven named vineyards (Climats like Les Clos and Vaudesir)

Right next to the village of Chablis on southwest facing slopes on the right bank of the river Serein on Kimmeridgian soil. Mixture of crumbly marl with good drainage and clay with water holding capacity

The southwest facing promote ripeness so they have more body and intensity than Chablis or 1er cru

1% of total production

Question 14

Impact of slopes

Answer 14

Vineyard soils are better drained
better protected from frost as cold air flows down the hill and is replaced with warmer air
better light interception for better ripening
sheltered from winds
For Chablis Grand Cru this is further helped by a band of trees between them and Petit Chablis

Question 15

Winemaking

Answer 15

Chaptalization up to the legal limit is used in all but warmest years
Fermentation in stainless
Storage in stainless or concrete for a few months
Malolactic is common to soften the acidity
May spend some time on lees to enhance texture
Some premier and grand crus may be fermented and aged in barrels with some using old (Raveneau & Dauvissat) and some using some new oak (William Fevre). others just use stainless (Brocard). Controversial topic

Question 16

Laws and Regulations

Answer 16

Only Chardonnay in the appellation
Max yields are:
60 for Petit Chablis and Chablis
58 for Premier Cru
54 for Grand Cru

Question 17

Wine business

Answer 17

1/3 of all wine is vinified by the cooperative La Chablisienne which operates at all levels of the quality hierarchy
Traditional distinction between negociants and domaines is breaking down as they both do a little of each

Question 18

Associations

Answer 18

Le Syndicat de Defense de l’Appellation de Chablis. Founded by William Fevre in 1993 to combat fraud and address envrionmental issues
L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis: voluntary association to promote the quality of Grand crus. members must own Grand crus, manually harvest, and practice sustainable measures

Question 19

Price Drivers

Answer 19

The name of the domaine
Level of the appellation (1er, Grand)
Petit Chablis and Chablis are mid and sometimes premium
Premier Cru and Grand Cru are premium or super
Wines from highly regarded producers like Raveneau and Dauvissat sell at extremely high prices

Question 20

Export

Answer 20

2/3 by volume

UK by far biggest then USA, Japan, Sweden, Canada