Chablis & Yonne

Question 1

What can I make in Irancy AOC?

Answer 1

Red wine, from Pinot Noir, although up to 10% Cesar is allowed.

Question 2

What’s in a bottle of St Bris AOC?

Answer 2

White wine, Sauv Blanc

Question 3

Whats in a bottle of Vezelay AOC?

Answer 3

White wine, Chardonnay

Question 4

What river runs through the ‘Grand Auxerrois’ ?

Answer 4

Yonne River

Question 5

What’s in a bottle of Bourgogne Tonnerre AOC?

Answer 5

White wine, Chardonnay

Question 6

What’s in a bottle of Bourgogne Epineuil AOC

Answer 6

Red or rose, from Pinot Noir

Question 7

What is made under Bourgogne Coulanges La Vineuse AOC? Where is this located?

Answer 7

Red, White, and Rose from Pinot, Cesar, and Chardonnay

Grand Auxerrois, Yonne

Question 8

What is made under Bourgogne Cotes d’Auxerre AOC?

Answer 8

Red, White, and Rose
chardonnay and pinot

Question 9

What’s made in Bourgogne Chitry? Where is it?

Answer 9

Red and White, from Pinot and Chard

Grand Auxerrois, Yonne

Question 10

What’s made in Bourgogne Cote St Jacques?

Where is it?

Answer 10

All 3 colors, of wine, and pinot (blanc, gris, noir) and chardonnay

Grand Auxerrois, Yonne

Question 11

What is the Grand Auxerrois essentially?

Answer 11

Satellite regions of Chablis.

Question 12

What river runs through Chablis?

Answer 12

Serein

Question 13

In what year was Chablis Grand Cru and Chablis classified?

How small was it at the time?

Answer 13

1938

Limited to 20 villages on Kimmeridgian Soils

Question 14

When were Premier Cru Chablis classified?

What was also done?

Answer 14

In the 60’s and 70’s

Chablis AOC was expanded, and the Petit Chablis category was added.

Question 15

What are the 7 climats of Chablis Grand Cru?

Answer 15

Les Clos
Blanchots
Bougros
Valmur
Vaudesir
Grenouilles
Les Preuses

Question 16

How might Blanchots Grand Cru area be characterized?

Answer 16

Its a cooler site that faces SE, and the Brechain down below pulls in cool air late afternoon.

Question 17

What percent of Chablis Grand Cru does Les Clos account for?

Answer 17

About 25%

Question 18

Vaudesir Grand Cru fruit could be described how?

Answer 18

Top quality, right there with Les Clos, its warm here and shielded from wind.

Question 19

Valmur Grand Cru fruit can be characterized how?

Answer 19

The fattest of the Chablis sites, there’s some extra clay here, and its warm.

Question 20

Les Preuses Grand Cru fruit can be characterized how?

Answer 20

Also top notch, right up there with Les Clos. Not as aromatic, but this fruit is ageworthy.

Question 21

What is the unofficial 8th Grand Cru of Chablis and where is it? Who owns it?

Answer 21

La Moutonne

Stretches over Vaudesir into Preuses

Domaine Long Depaquit owns it. (Albert Bichot)

Question 22

How many Premier Cru Chablis are there? How many will I actually see on a bottle?

Answer 22

There are 40 vineyards, but they can be grouped into 17 “headliners” if you will.

Question 23

One of two ‘super’ premier cru in Chablis. This site lies across the Brechain valley from Grand Cru Blanchots.

Answer 23

1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre

Question 24

One of two ‘super’ premier cru in Chablis, this 1er cru makes up the Southern portion of 1er cru Fourchaume, just North of Les Preuses.

Answer 24

1er cru Vaulorent, bottled as Fourchaume.

Question 25

Are the 1er cru Chablis sites of Vaucopin and Les Fourneaux on the right bank of the Sereine river, or the left?

Answer 25

Right, East of Montee de Tonnerre

Question 26

This 1er cru is on Chablis right bank, and produces some of the most powerful fruit in the AOC. Its between Montee de Tonnerre and Vaucopin.

Answer 26

1er Cru Mont de Milieu

Question 27

Vaillons, Beauroy, and Vau de Vey are 1er Cru Chablis on the right or left bank of the Sereine river?

Answer 27

Left bank

Question 28

Le Foret and Butteaux are small 1er cru Chablis plots. What larger 1er cru can they be included in?

Right or Left bank?

Answer 28

Montmains

Left bank

Question 29

What are some subtle differences of Chablis vineyards from the right bank of the Sereine versus the left bank?

Answer 29

The right bank vineyards show more yellow fruit and exotic aromatics

The left bank shows white fruit and white flowers.

Question 30

A typical Chablis wine will be produced how?

Answer 30

Steel or old wood ferment, elevage in steel or old wood, (although Grand Cru will see some new oak) and time on the lees upwards of a year and a half.

Question 31

What soil type is less desired in Chablis, but nonetheless planted to satisfy demand?

Answer 31

Portlandian limestone

Question 32

Describe Kimmeridgian Marl.

Answer 32

Crumbly chalky marl, of clay and limestone, with fossilized oyster shell embedded in it

Question 33

How are the recent 2022 and 2021 vintages of Chablis?

Answer 33

2022 is very good. Warm dry year without excessive yields. Acid levels are excellent.

2021 was a challenge. Severe frost, clay heavy petit chablis got demolished, cold weather and rain, disease pressure. Fruit got just ripe late but there isn’t a lot of it.

Question 34

How did the 2020 Chablis vintage fare?

And 2019?

Answer 34

It was an excellent year in 2020. Warm, dry, and sunny. Fruit came in with excellent ageing potential.

2019 was very good as well, although a bit stressed by drought, small concentrated crop.

Question 35

How was the 2018 vintage in Chablis?

Answer 35

Good but being a very warm year, acid levels fell off a bit. Big exuberant Chablis that can be enjoyed earlier.

Question 36

What Chablis vintages were excellent from 2017 to 2000?

Answer 36

Lots of average to good years, the best were 2014 (96), 2015 (95), and 2017 (94)

2002 was a delight as well. (95)

Question 37

What vintages of Chablis were most difficult from 2017 to 2000?

Answer 37

Tbh, its more about the years that were too warm, steering the wines into richness and stonefruit, and losing some trademark acidity.

2001, 2003, 2009 are examples of this

Question 38

What percent of Chablis production is at Grand Cru level?

Answer 38

1%