Lesson 6: Chablis

Question 1

Why is Chablis unique in the world of Burgundy in re: to soils?

Answer 1

While it’s soils are Jurassic in origin, it is a much younger part of the Jurassic, so they’re limestones and chalks and marls, come from a much younger period than the rest of Burgundy.
In fact, Chablis comprises a part of Burgundy called the Kimmeridgean ring, which encompasses “wine islands” (that reach from Champagne, to Chablis and Loire: Sanscerre)
Chablis is almost equidistant from the Ob of Champagne, the Cote d’nuits in Burgundy and the Sancerre area of Loire
It is the chalk that gives Chablis it’s unique status.

Question 2

Chablis has been producing distinctive white wines in the region since ______?

The Chardonnay grape was believed to have been introduced by ___________?

Chablis is a “Terroir” role model because..?

Answer 2

The Middle Ages

The Cistertians

The taste of a Chablis Chardonnay is so distinctive that it stands out.
it is believed that distinction comes from a large extent from the Kimmeridgian, chalk soils

Portlandian chalk, a harder cap rock that also exosts in the Chablis area.

Question 3

Brief History:

200 AD: what happened?

600-1400 AD: what happened?

1100 AD: what happened?

1859 AD: what happened?

Answer 3

200 AD: The Romans are believed to have introduced the vine around this time

600-1400 AD: The monks came in and really refined the viticulture of the area. They set up vineyards as early as 600 AD, and then the Cistersian monks came in the 12th century, and they’re credited with the most refinement that took place in the viticulture that created the region as we know it today.

1100 AD:
Already wine was a dominant element being produced in the area, and the city of
Auxerre becomes a major river port supplying Paris.

The 2 rivers that function in this area are the Yonne River (larger) Serein River.
Auxerre was a city built on the Yonne river and served as a river port. The wines could be transported up the river Yonne, were it joined with the Seine river and the wines could go into Paris and beyond, and the areas wines became quite famous.

1850 AD: This area became Burgundy’s most important wine area

Question 4

Producing Vineyard Acreage in Chablis & Grand Auxerrois

1890:
1950:

2008:

Answer 4

Producing Vineyard Acreage in Chablis & Grand Auxerrois

1890: 100,000 Acres
1950: 1200 Acres
2008: 16,575 Acres

Note: Chablis comprises 75% of the vines today

Question 5

Today, Chablis comprise ____% of the vines today Vs. Gran Auxerrois?

Answer 5

75 %

Question 6

What haoppend to drastically reduce the amount of vineyards after the 1890s?

3 “body blows” of the 19th Century

Answer 6

3 “body blows” of the 19th Century

1) Powdery and downy mildews
2) Phylloxera

and just as they were figuring out solutions to those problems…

3) it was too late, they’d lost their traditional market, which was primarily the Paris market. During this time the railroad to the Mediterranean was completed (in 1856), and now the lower cost wines from the midi area of France could easily be transported into the Paris market, so Chablis lost their traditional market.

Question 7

Other Contributing factors to the decline of Chablis

Answer 7

• World War 1: A lot of the men had to leave and many were killed.
• Economic Stagnation: Due to the war, the economy was down, so the demand for wine certainly decreased
• Rural De-population: Young people went to Paris and got jobs there, and there was just no labor force.

All of these factors came together and resulted in much of the land not being replanted to grape vines.

Question 8

Total Acres planted in the Chablis & Grand Auxerrois area?

% in Chablis?

Answer 8

16,575 vineyard acres

75% of those are in Chablis

Question 9

How many millions of cases in the Chablis & Grand Auxerrois area?

Answer 9

3.11 million cases

Question 10

% of white wine produced in the Chablis & Grand Auxerrois area?

% of this white that is from the Chablis AOC

Answer 10

92 % white wine

85%

Question 11

White Grapes of the Chablis & Grand Auxerrois area?

Answer 11

Chardonnay (aka Beaunois)
- this indicates that it probably
came from the Beaune area originally

Aligote:

Sacy: a grape maybe coming from Italy in the 13th century. A high producer and high acid grape. Today, it’s production is slowly going away, but it’s still used in the Auxerrois, in particular, especially in Cremant production.

Sauvignon (Blanc): The grape that comrises the appellation of St. Bris. Has been planted in the area, since 1850.

Melon (Melon d’ Bourgogne):Found in smaller amounts. Mainly in the Vezelay appellation, and there’s not much of it produced.

Question 12

4 Red Grapes of the Chablis & Grand Auxerrois area?

Answer 12

Pinot Noir is King

Gamay

Cesar: Only found in the Yonne. Believed to have come from the Romans. Is used in the Irancy village Appellation.

Tressot: So little of it that it hardly bears mentioning. It is slowly disappearing.

Question 13

Chablis AOC Hierarchy:

Answer 13

Chablis Grand Cru (1, with 7 parcels): 255 Acres, 60,000 cases (9L)

Chablis Premier Cru (more scattered): 1935 Acres, 490,000 cases

Chablis (Village Level): 8.140 Acres. 2.08 million cases.

Petit Chablis (also Village status): Normally planted on the less favored sites, and produces a wine that’s lighter and less costly as well,

Total: 12,280 Acres, 3.11 million cases

Question 14

Village AOCs of The Auxerrois

Answer 14

Irancy (as of 1999, was a Bourgogne before): A Pinot Noir/Cesar blend (5-10%)

Saint-Bris: a 100% Sauvignon Blanc wine

Question 15

Regional AOCs of Chablis & Grand Auxerrois

Answer 15

Known as “Affordable Burgundy”
affordable, food worthy, and very drinkable as young wines

• Cote d’Auxerre: Red & white
• Chitry: mostly white wine
• Coulanges-la-Vineuse: Red
• Epinueil: Red
• Vezelay: White
• Tonnerre: mostly Pinot
• Cote Saint-Jacques (Joigny): Red, slope of 10 acres

Question 16

Where is the Grand Cru of Chablis located?

Answer 16

A slope of the North East side of the river, right across from the Village of Chablis. Essentially the vineyards are on pretty steep slopes and face the South West,primarily, sometimes the SE, sometimes the South, but mainly South.
It’s protected quite nicely, except for the frost.

Question 17

Describe Chablis layout

Answer 17

The region of Chablis is sort of bi-sected by the Serein river.
The river is a very narrow valley that really gets a lot of frost.

Question 18

Name the 2 rivers in the Chablis & Grand Auxerrois area:

Answer 18

Yonne

Serein

Question 19

One of the main challenges of the Chablis area today.

What are remedies?

Answer 19

Frost damage. “The Frost Capital”

The Serein River Valley is a natural frost pocket. The cold air comes in from the NW, and they usually get severe frost about 3-4 years of every decade.

Remedies:
- Smudge pots, cost $180/ac/night to burn. Burnt in the vineyards on the really cold nights. Very expensive. Tanks to store the fuel, and someone keeping watch to make sure they don’t go out.

• Overhead Sprinklers $180/50ac night. Initial large cost, but then much cheaper. *the most desirable
• Experimentals: EDF wire (run a wire along the vineyard rows that emanates heat.
  plastic sheeting

Question 20

As a general statement, the Petit Chablis has more of what soil?

Answer 20

Portlandian

Question 21

Where are the Premiere Crus located?

Answer 21

Some are in the East side of the river, near the Grand Cru, and some are on the SW side. The altitude is higher on the E side.

Question 22

Chablis Grand Cru

“Seven Siblings”

Answer 22

1 Gran Cru, divided into 7 Parcels

Staring in the Southeast…

• Blanchot: (31.4 acres) Extreme Southeast. More delicate floral notes. Not quite as minerally as some of the others.
• Les Clos: (64 acres) Largest of the 7 parcels, and very highly regarded for it’s qualities. Best known, and probably easiest to find. Can’t go wrong with one.
• Valmur: (32.6 acres). Nestled between Vaudesir & Les Clos. Also highly regarded. Has a fuller, softer style of grand Cru Chablis
• Les Grenouilles: (23 acres). the smallest of the parcels, so you don’t see very much of it. Ccan be very powerful, with piercing type of fruit. Literallt means frogs. It’s lower down near the river, so probably gets it’s name from that.
• Vaudesir: (36.3 acres) Known for more of a higher toned finesse. At a higher elevation, and this helps create its style of more finesse
• Les Preuses:(28.2 acres) Highly regarded. Ripe succulent racy.
• Bougros: (31 acres) A little more rough around the edges. A little burly and more rustic.
• Moutonne: A monopole. Owned by a sinlge producer. Domaine Long-Depaquit, which is owned by the Albert Bichot Domaine Negociant in Beaune.
  You can find some Moutonne, but it does not have it’s separate status in terms of the official law. It is part of Vaudesir, and a little piece of it is Preuses.
  But sometimes from Long-Depaquit, you can see a Moutonne in the marketplace. It is Grand Cru

*Chablis “La Moutonne” is not recognized as Grand Cru by INAO, but BIVB (Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne) recognizes it as Grand Cru. *Wikipedia

Question 23

Evolution of the Premiers Crus

1967: ?
1978: ?
1986: ?

Answer 23

Evolution of the Premiers Crus

1967: 26 lieux-dits were combined and sold under 11 premiers crus climats (so, 26 places that were classified Premiere Cru, and they were marketed under 11 Premiere Cru Climat names).
1978: The INAO made a decreed that loosened up the restrictions, as far as where the boundries of where Premier Crus could be, so by
1986: the 26 lieux-dits expanded into 40 lieux-dits, and they created more flagship names, so today, the 40 are marketed under 17 premiers crus climats

Question 24

Most well known of the Premiers Crus (3)

Answer 24

• Fourchaume
• Montee de Tonnerre
• Mont de Milieu

All 3 are on the North side of the village, adjacent to the Grand Cru slope (almost extensions of it) with similar soils (kimmeridgean ) and microclimate

Question 25

General Guidelines for cellaring Chablis (from the harvest year)
* obviously depends on the storage conditions, the producer and the specific wine

Grand Cru Chablis

Premier Cru Chablis

Chablis

Petit Chablis: 6 mos - 2.5 years

Answer 25

Grand Cru Chablis: 5-12 years (cellar well to this and improves)

Premier Cru Chablis: 3-8 years

Chablis: 1-4 years

Petit Chablis: 6 mos - 2.5 years

Question 26

Chablis Controversy

Restrictionists Vs. Expantionists

Answer 26

Would the “true Chablis please stand up”

Restrictionists: Kimmeridge forever! Thought Kimmeridge was the only soils that the vines should be planted on
William Fevre was a big restrictionist (all of his vines, now sold, were on Kimmeridgean soils) and formed Le Syndicat de la Defens de l’Appellation Chablis

Expansionists: Jean Durup started La Federation des Viticulteurs Chablisien, and they felt vineyards should not be restricted to just purely Kimmeridgean soils, but that other factors like exposure of the site and the slope of the site played a role

The Expantionists won out because the geologists had a very hard time differentiating the soils b/c there was such a mix.

Today the NIAO has required Chablis to combine the 2 syndicats b/c you can’t have 2 in the same production region.

So in 2007 they formed La Federation de la Defens de l’Appellation Chablis

Question 27

More Controversy

Machine Vs. Handpicking

To oak or not to oak

Answer 27

Pretty widespread in Chablis. 90-95% machine picked now.
Only the Grand Crus and some of the premiere crus are hand picked.

Since the 1960s, most of Chablis was fermented in stainless steal.
then some started to use new small french oak barrels, which changed the taste characteristics of the typical Chablis. Today more wood is being used, but less new wood.

Question 28

A Yield Comparison (vintage 2002)

Chablis Vs. Cote d’Or

Answer 28

Some people in the Cote d’Or criticized Chablis for producing too high of yields to produce consistent quality.

                    Chablis Vs. Cote d'Or

Grand Cru: 52 hl/ha 44 hl/ha

Premier Cru 58 hl/ha 51 hl/ha

Village: 59 hl/ha 53 hl/ha

Question 29

Threats to Quality, and by extension it’s image throughout the world

Answer 29

• Machine Harvesting (yes quick and you can pick all of the grapes at the right time, but you can’t sort very well, you break skins, get more oxidation occuring earlier)
• High Yields (most people feel that the yields Chablis is getting are too high to get the quality that they would like to see on a consistent basis.)
• Young vines (since it’s grown dramatically in recent years 350% in last 30 yrs, fastest growing area in Burgundy, there are a lot of younger vines)
• Improper Siting (with such growth, maybe sites are being planted that wouldn’t have before)
• Over-manipulation, is a criticism of some who might use centrifuges to clarify the must, using selected yeasts, adding bacteria to promote malolactic fermentation, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis to concentrate the must in certain vintages, etc

Question 30

Clice Coats description of a Chablis wine

Answer 30

“a wine of some viscosity (def has some weight), a green-gold color, an aroma combining steel, gunflint and grilled nuts; a flavor long, distinct and complex; totally dry, with a rich, lingering finish; an understated wine, more subtle than obvious.”

Those characteristics, as well as being an understated wine (with more subtlety than obvious qualities, really make it excel at the table, and great with shellfish

Has a minerality to it, and Grand Crus with age have the nut quality.

Question 31

Suggested Chablis Wines to Taste

Answer 31

Chablis Premiere Cru “Montmains”
- the slope is facing the SE and it’s an elevated site with Kimmeridgean chalk, with maybe some Portlandian mixed in. The flavor is less powerful than the Premier Crus on the other side. It has a little more floral note and maybe for fruit has a green granny smith apple quality, with peachiness to it. Minerality, more delicate than the P crus on the other side.
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Chablis Premier Cru “Montee de Tonnerre”
A wine that’s a little more like a Grand Cru. The exposure and terroir is very similar since it’s right next door. More mineral, steelyness, nutty, firmer, powerful
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Fourchaume ie has the minerality, but also has the fruit and more plumpness, smoother richer texture most of the time. Usually favored by a group.