Wine of the Week 58 – the other wine from Chablis

Chablis town, you can see vineyards on the slopes beyond.

Having just returned from a week in Chablis I am all fired up with enthusiasm for the place and its wines. Most wine drinkers will feel that they understand what Chablis is, a classic, crisp dry white wine, normally unoaked and made from Chardonnay. Well, as usual I discovered that most of what we believe to be true about the place is not true. There are in fact may different styles of Chablis, many of them much richer than most consumers realise.

However, I will write about Chablis another day and restrict myself to Chablis’s poor relation today – Petit-Chablis.

In truth Petit-Chablis is no poor relation of Chablis, it is just a different wine. The wine of Chablis, wine that is given the appellation Chablis in line with the appellation contrôlée / PDO is named after this famous town, but defined by grape variety and the local soil. Chablis can only be made from Chardonnay vines and must be grown on the Kimmeridgian soils that are found on most of the slopes around Chablis. Kimmeridgian is named after Kimmeridge in Dorset and it is a calcareous clay and is a very fossil rich soil that contains the fossilised remains of ancient oysters and ammonites. The lime content of the fossils helps give acidity into the wine and, it is believed by some, to impart the typical minerality too.

On the outskirts of Chablis, the Kimmeridgian soil is hard to find and makes way for the harder Portlandian soils that are not so rich in clay or fossils and generally produce wines that are less mineral, but more fruity. More importantly Portlandian soils are also found on the top of the Chablis slopes, the plateaux between the valleys, so is often right by some of the very best Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru vineyards. The only wine produced on this Portlandian soil is Petit-Chablis.

Chablis vineyards, looking North, the town is hidden in the valley. Some of the vines at the very top of the opposite slopes are Petit-Chablis. On the slopes it is Chablis Grand Cru.

To many of us the name Petit-Chablis implies that the wine is somewhat lesser, although I understand that this is not so in French. With extensive tasting though, I discovered that this simply is not so. Although many of Petit-Chablis I tasted were pretty ordinary, others were far better than the dull generic Chablis wines that grace many of our supermarket shelves.

Wine map of Chablis, Petit-Chablis is in pale yellow.

Frankly I was spoiled for choice as to which Petit-Chablis to write about today, Domaine Mosnier‘s was bright, focussed and very good, Domaine Moreau-Naudet‘s was richer and more mineral, La Chablisienne‘s Petit Chablis ‘Pas si Petit’ (not so little) is fresh with a touch of minerality. The Petit-Chablis from Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin is an extraordinarily fine wine, as is the one from Domaine Vincent Dauvissat. However as these last two are pretty pricey, although well worth it if you feel like treating yourself, so I have chosen a different producer’s Petit-Chablis to be my Wine of the Week – William Fèvre.

Didier Séguier (left) winemaker at William Fèvre. Alin Marcuello, hospitality manager is on the right.

By the by, I often take the view that a top producer’s lesser wine, or appellation, is a better bet than a lesser example of a top wine, so think Gigondas rather than Châteauneuf, Coteaux du Giennois rather than Sancerre, Monbazillac rather than Sauternes, Côte de Castillon or Fronsac rather than St Emilion if you want good value.

2014 Wiliam Fèvre Petit-Chablis
AC Petit-Chablis
Burgundy, France

Unoaked Chardonnay with 10 months lees ageing in stainless steel tank.

The colour is very pale, silvery and clear with a touch of green.

The nose offers green apple, green apple skin together with some blossom and floral notes.

The palate is surprisingly soft and round with appley and pear fruit. A steely, fresh quality balances the fruit with its lovely green acidity that is just off tart. This makes it a nice drinkable wine as the acidity is not too dominant, while little flourishes of chalky and seashore minerality add complexity and finesse. It has a lovely long finish.

This is an excellent classic French dry white and much  better than most of the basic Chablis in the supermarkets – 88/100 points

The 2013 is currently available and is a little richer and rounder. The 2014 will be available around October / November 2015.

This makes a perfect aperitif, or serve it with soft cheese, shellfish, grilled fish and white meat.

For UK stockists look here and contact Fells and Co.