From: Chablis, France

Varietal: Chardonnay

About & Taste: While the Vieilles Vignes ("old vines") comes from some pretty long-lived plants, the Bessin-Tremblay Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume La Piece au Comte boasted constituents that were planted in 1934 – and their DNA lives on in the present vines.

Vinified separately because of their certain 'je ne sais quoi' attained from this corner of the vineyard, La Piece au Comte's special qualities are actually attributable to a vine disease which helps to stunt growth but intensify sugars and acidity. Lemon curd and cream mix with flinty minerality and searing acidity to create an energetic and supremely enjoyable Chardonnay.

The Domaine. Domaine Bessin-Tremblay has been around since 1989, owned by Jean-Claude and Eveylne Bessin, although the family has been in the wine business since the 1800s. The estate is in La Chapelle Vaupelteigne, just north of the town of Chablis, with total vineyard area of around 12 hectares across Chablis AOC, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru classifications.

Jean Claude and Evelyne's son, Romain, is now heavily involved in the business, and they work tirelessly in the vineyard to ensure that the frut is of the highest quality; the stellar reviews of their wines show that this is very much the case.

Notes from the Importer. Named after the aristocracy once the landlord of this parcel, La Pièce au Comte was the Tremblay’s first vineyard holding in Chablis. Covering a single hectare, it lies in the heart of Fourchaume, and until 2014 its oldest vines were 80 years old (having been planted in 1934). These vines have since been replanted with massale selections, although the remainder still date from the 1950s.

Bessin explains that the vines here suffer from court-noué, causing a decline in vigour and leading to more concentrated sugars and acidity. The resulting wine is a nerve ball Chablis, at once more intense and exuberant than the Fourchaume, yet also more weightless and crystalline. The élevage here was split equally between tank and barrel (of which under 10% was new).